Time travel, quick transmigration

Gao Lishi looked worried and sighed after speaking. Then he looked at her with hope in his eyes. Shi Yan found it amusing, but she also admired Gao Lishi's loyalty to Li Longji. Seeing that he was looking at her so earnestly, she also showed a worry on her face, showing her concern and care for her father as a daughter-in-law.

"Eunuch Gao, to be honest, the Prince has been very worried about the Emperor these past few days, and it pains me to see him like this."

"Now that Father Emperor is in this state, I don't know what to do. I can only pray for Father Emperor's health every day."

Gao Lishi smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this.

"This servant has a favor to ask, and hopes that Your Highness the Princess can grant it."

"Since His Majesty feels empty inside, let's liven up the palace. His Majesty usually enjoys refined pleasures and is extremely fond of music and dance. I have long heard that Your Highness is also a refined person, not only knowledgeable in music but also extremely skilled in singing and dancing. Why don't you go to the palace and compose a song and dance for His Majesty to make him happy?"

"Look at this! This is the lousy idea that Li Longji's good servant came up with, making Yang Yuhuan, his daughter-in-law, perform a dance for Li Longji to please him. How could someone be so heartless as to come up with such a despicable scheme, specifically to harm the innocent Yang Yuhuan?" Shi Yan couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Gao Lishi thought his request was reasonable, but little did he know that the woman in front of him was secretly despising him.

Shi Yan's eyes darkened, but when Gao Lishi looked up at her, she put on a gentle expression again. However, she truly didn't want to follow Gao Lishi to the palace to perform a dance for Li Longji, as he had requested.

"Yan Yan, you can't deviate from the predetermined path. You must understand that apart from changing Yang Yuhuan's ending, you absolutely cannot change the process in between. History is called history because it is something that must have happened, a fact that has already occurred. If history deviates from its original trajectory, there will be unpredictable collapses afterward. Our cooperation has only one purpose, which is to allow this parallel universe to proceed in an orderly manner, to dispel the long-accumulated resentment, and to make those with obsessive hearts willingly pass away."

0804 noticed Shi Yan's emotions and gave her a timely reminder.

Shi Yan's heart stirred slightly, or perhaps she was truly persuaded by 0804, for her beautiful and charming face broke into a kind and understanding smile.

“Eunuch Gao, I am naturally willing to share my father’s burdens. I am willing to go to the palace with you.”

"My father is responsible for the safety of the nation. Although I am a woman, I understand some of the great principles of family and country. I am willing to do my part for our Great Tang."

Gao Lishi took in Shi Yan's righteous and patriotic expression, and thinking about his own purpose, he suddenly dared not meet Shi Yan's gaze. He could only smile awkwardly and say some words of praise.

……

When Li Heng heard the reason why Gao Lishi had come specifically to invite Yang Yuhuan to the palace, he, preoccupied with his father Emperor's health, readily agreed to let Yang Yuhuan go to the palace to fulfill her filial duties to Li Longji. He was completely unaware of Gao Lishi's true intentions.

In order to present a song and dance to Li Longji at that time, Gao Lishi brought Shi Yan to the Pear Garden.

Music and dance flourished during the Tang Dynasty, and the Pear Garden was the imperial music institution of the time. The Pear Garden primarily performed court music and rehearsed the works of Emperor Li Longji, who personally instructed them. Among the female musicians, those with the best looks and skills were selected to enter the Yichun Garden next to the Penglai Palace, where they were called "Inner Women" and could stand before the emperor, performing in prominent positions at the head of the song and dance troupe. The next best were called "Palace Ladies," and the next best were called "Players of Pipa," specializing in instruments such as the pipa and konghou.

Shi Yan was fortunate enough to witness firsthand the prosperity of the Pear Garden, a scene previously only described in written records. Gao Lishi led her to the Pear Garden's legal department, which reportedly included a small ensemble of thirty musicians.

Accompanied by Gao Lishi, Shi Yan witnessed the skills of the palace ladies, dancers, and musicians in the Pear Garden. She sincerely admired the beauty of their dances and the exquisite music they played.

The Tang Dynasty, in its golden age, truly lived up to its glorious and prosperous reputation. During this time, she highly praised a skilled pipa player named Yuan Nianyang, saying that her pipa playing was so exquisite that it captivated the audience.

She had always been very interested in the pipa in the real world, and when she met Yuan Nianyang, she naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to learn from him. She immediately told Gao Lishi that she wanted to summon him to the palace for a few days so that she could listen to him play the pipa every day.

Gao Lishi readily agreed.

After Shi Yan had selected the performers and decided on the song and dance routines, and everything was settled, Yuan Nianyang, who had entered the Prince's Mansion at Shi Yan's request, carried his pipa and quietly left the Pear Garden with them without ever raising his head.

Shi Yan knew how to dance, but she hadn't learned the Lingbo Dance from the Tang Dynasty. Fortunately, she had some dance background, and after watching the palace maids and servants perform it a few times, she could roughly grasp the basics. After a few days of practice, she and everyone else were very well-coordinated, and her Lingbo Dance drew admiration from the audience. Gao Lishi, in particular, was beaming with joy, his eyes practically disappearing from his grin.

Shi Yan still felt somewhat uncomfortable. Even though serving the emperor was considered an honor in feudal times, it was not a glorious thing for Shi Yan, who had received a modern education.

The ultimate purpose of learning a dance is nothing more than to please the emperor; even the real Yang Yuhuan would not have been truly willing to do so.

"Tch, forget it. Just think of it as a talent show in school, where I'm only facing a homeroom teacher who's checking out the performance."

"Besides, Xiang Nianyang has made some progress in learning the pipa these past two days, so let's put the unpleasant things aside for now."

That evening, Gao Lishi and Shi Yan had arranged beforehand, and Gao Lishi casually led Li Longji, who was taking a stroll in the imperial garden near Longchi, to the place where Shi Yan and several palace maids were dancing gracefully.

As darkness fell, the surroundings were brightly lit by the palace lanterns.

Upon hearing the music of string and wind instruments, Li Longji's heart stirred. He turned to look at Gao Lishi, who had a smiling face, and felt a mixture of doubt and sudden understanding.

"Strongman, who is playing music ahead? Who is singing and dancing?"

Gao Lishi remained silent, looking at Li Longji with a pleasing smile.

"Your Majesty will know once you go up ahead and take a look."

Li Longji saw that Gao Lishi was deliberately keeping him in suspense, but he did not reprimand him. Instead, he followed Gao Lishi's instructions and walked toward the source of the music.

In a pavilion with a wide view on the pond, a beautiful woman in a green flowing dress danced gracefully like a fairy. Her charming and graceful movements captivated the king standing on the shore.

Gao Lishi, who was standing to the side, noticed the king's mesmerized expression and did not miss the king's bright eyes. Seeing that the king's face, which had been gloomy for many days, had regained its radiance, he felt relieved and deeply felt that his efforts had not been in vain.

The night was enchanting, the dance enchanting, captivating the emperor's heart and making him unable to find peace.