Time travel, quick transmigration

"Yu Huan, let's drink a cup together."

Li Longji's gentle voice sounded beside Shi Yan, drawing her attention back to him.

Shi Yan smiled and picked up the wine.

"Very well, Your Majesty, I offer this cup in gratitude for the peace and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and for Your Majesty's good health."

Li Longji smiled broadly.

"Hehe, very well, then I also wish Yu Huan peace and good health."

The emperor and empress then exchanged a smile and drank the wine in their cups in one gulp.

As Shi Yan looked away to drink with the emperor, Xiao Huanling finally turned his gaze away as well. He tried his best to stop paying attention to the person on the throne and began to drink alone.

An Lushan's presentation of gifts was merely a minor episode; what followed was the most important ceremony. The Crown Prince paid homage, followed by the Grand Dukes, then the Chancellor presented reports from various prefectures, the Vice-Chancellor of the Palace Secretariat presented auspicious omens, the Minister of Revenue presented tributes from various prefectures, the Minister of Rites presented tributes from various foreign tribes, the Grand Historian presented celestial phenomena, and the Attendant-in-Ordinary announced the completion of the ceremony. Afterwards, the Chancellor and the officials in charge of the Imperial Household Department paid homage. Once all the officials had paid their respects, everyone in the hall shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

As the New Year's Day banquet drew to a close, the emperor and his ministers drank wine and composed poems to enhance their refined enjoyment and celebrate the New Year.

After the court ceremonies and activities concluded, the next step was to offer sacrifices to ancestors and Heaven, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year. The imperial concubines did not need to participate in the ancestral and Heaven sacrifices the following day; the emperor and all officials would jointly perform the sacrifices, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and national peace and prosperity in the coming year.

After the banquet, Shi Yan returned to Ganlu Palace with Li Longji.

Xiao Huanling declined the two ministers' invitation to travel together. The two ministers were not surprised or bothered by the rejection, as they were well aware of Xiao Huanling's habit of going his own way. They had only invited him out of politeness, and since Xiao Huanling had already refused, they took their leave.

Wearing a dark black cloak and a dark red brocade military uniform embroidered with silver patterns, Xiao Huanling was walking out of the palace gate and heading towards the towering palace road when a hurried voice, accompanied by the cold wind, reached his ears from behind.

"General Xiao, please wait a moment..."

The sound of several calls forced Xiao Huanling to stop and look behind him.

The woman who caught up was pretty with an oval face and a very pleasing appearance. She was dressed in thick winter clothes, like a palace maid. When Xiao Huanling saw the woman, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He knew the woman's identity very well. She was Xiangli, the personal maid who served Princess Wan'an. However, he didn't understand why Xiangli wanted to see him.

Xiangli ran up to Xiao Huanling, and upon seeing his bright and beautiful face, her heart skipped a beat. She managed to calm herself and try to speak fluently.

“General Xiao, um… it’s just that my princess knew you would be coming to the palace today to attend the court ceremony, so she specially sent me to invite you to Huifang Pavilion in Daming Palace after the banquet.”

Xiangli was still a little out of breath from running so fast, but now that she had finally caught up with Princess Wan'an's beloved husband, she breathed a sigh of relief and relayed the princess's message to Xiao Huanling.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Huanling frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Please inform Your Highness that it is improper for me to visit you privately. I have other important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave!"

After saying this, he clasped his hands in a salute and turned to walk forward.

Seeing his resolute back, Xiangli couldn't help but resent Xiao Huanling in her heart for being heartless and having no compassion for women.

"You're nothing but a block of wood, an ice cube. Aside from being pretty, what makes you worthy of my precious princess's attention? You're ungrateful. I really don't know what Her Highness sees in you."

"Hey……"

Watching the figure disappear into the distance, Xiangli felt a pang of sorrow.

"How am I supposed to answer the princess now? If I tell her the truth, she'll be so heartbroken..."

The west side hall of Daming Palace was where the princesses lived, while Princess Wan'an lived in Danchen Hall. Xiangli returned to Daming Palace and walked all the way to Danchen Hall. As soon as she entered the hall, she saw a woman dressed in an orange-red princess dress standing under the eaves, looking towards the direction of the hall gate.

The woman was Princess Wan'an, Li Tanniang, and her mistress.

Despite the freezing weather, Li Tanniang felt no cold at all, her expectant expression clearly indicating that she was waiting for something.

Upon seeing her, Li Tanniang's eyes lit up at first, but after making eye contact with her, she seemed to understand something instantly, and the clear light in her eyes gradually faded.

Seeing her princess's disappointed expression, Xiangli felt heartbroken and stepped forward to apologize with her head bowed.

"Princess, it's all my fault, please don't be upset. It's all my fault for being too slow and not catching up with General Xiao, so I couldn't convey your invitation to meet him at Huifang Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Li Tanniang's disappointment and sadness lessened somewhat.

"That's it."

"I thought it was because he didn't want to see me. As long as he doesn't dislike me, that's fine..."

"It's alright, let it go this time. There will always be another chance to meet. It's just a pity about the plum wine I prepared for him, and the holiday gift I gave him. It seems I won't be able to give them to him."

Li Tanniang muttered a few words to herself, then turned and walked into the house behind her.

Upon seeing this, Xiangli immediately followed her inside.

"Princess, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you."

Li Tanniang sat down on a soft couch, picked up a mahogany box placed on the couch, and carefully examined a brocade sachet inside.

Last year, while strolling through the West Market with her two elder brothers and younger sister, she encountered Xiao Huanling, a strikingly beautiful man in red brocade robes, riding a white horse with an arrogant air, leading a squad of Imperial Guards like a shooting star in the night. In that fleeting glance, she fell deeply in love. Later, while celebrating her elder brother, the Crown Prince's, birthday at the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, she met him again. Finally, she had the chance to speak with him, and at that moment, being so close to the man she had longed for made her truly happy.

"Since I can't give this sachet away for now, I'll definitely give it to him in person next time."

Li Tanniang said silently, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes.

In Anle Palace, Wu Jinyao, having been confined to the palace by Li Longji after being caught discussing something privately, harbored deep resentment and bitterness, making her life extremely difficult. Fortunately, she finally made contact with the Wu family outside the palace and secretly conspired with Consort Liu to reach a consensus. The two decided to take advantage of the spring hunt to eliminate Yang Yuhuan, who had caused them such a tragic fate and reduced them to such a state, outside the palace.

The two used their family influence and connections to contact the manager of the Thousand Machine Pavilion and hire ten of the pavilion's top assassins at an exorbitant price to assassinate Yang Yuhuan. They had to succeed without fail.

Wu and Liu are secretly plotting something, currently preparing for the upcoming spring hunt. Shi Yan, who is having Xiao Die pack the essentials for the trip, is completely unaware of Wu and Liu's conspiracy.

Spring is the season when all things revive and grow. In Shi Yan's view, spring hunting is undoubtedly a one-sided killing that harms living beings, which is not advisable. She tried to persuade Li Longji, but Li Longji brushed it off by saying that the annual spring hunting has continued to this day and it is inappropriate to cancel it. She did not want to deal with Li Longji, so she did not persuade him again.

In fact, she knew that Li Longji was unwilling to cancel the spring hunt. On the one hand, it was because of his unquestionable dignity as the emperor, and on the other hand, he was skilled in riding and archery and loved hunting. Moreover, he had lived in the palace for a long time and naturally longed for the outside world.