Time travel, quick transmigration

While Shi Yan was pondering what to say to dissuade Li Longji from sending her to the Ganlu Palace to accompany him, Consort Wang, who had recently entered the palace and was quite favored by Li Longji, sent her personal maid to see him.

"Your Majesty, my beloved concubine has been suffering from severe abdominal pain since dinner today. Although we have summoned the imperial physician and she has taken some medicine, her condition has not improved much. She keeps calling for Your Majesty, and I couldn't bear to see her like this, so I came to see you. I beg Your Majesty to visit my concubine in the side hall of Anle Palace."

Li Longji frowned slightly, looking at Shi Yan with apologetic eyes.

"Yu Huan, this..."

Shi Yan was well aware of the power struggles among the women in the imperial harem. In any case, she didn't care about Li Longji and didn't care where he wanted to go. However, she still couldn't appear indifferent on the surface.

Shi Yan glared at Li Longji resentfully, her voice muffled, and said with displeasure.

"Since Consort Wang is suffering from severe abdominal pain and keeps talking about Your Majesty, it would be a great comfort for her if Your Majesty went down to her. Your Majesty, please go."

Li Longji awkwardly wiped his nose and forced a smile.

"I knew Yu Huan was a kind-hearted woman. I'm off now, I won't stay with you tonight."

"Lishi, escort the Imperial Concubine back to Nanxun Palace."

Gao Lishi lowered his eyes and responded with a "Yes," then gestured for him to proceed.

"Your Highness, this way please."

Shi Yan glanced at Li Longji, then turned and headed towards Nanxun Palace without looking back.

Li Longji and the others boarded the imperial carriage and gradually drove away before looking down at the little palace maid kneeling on the ground with her head down.

"Your beauty is quite bold, knowing I would pass by here and only needing you to intercept me. Come on, isn't your beauty suffering from severe stomach pain and calling for me? Don't keep your beauty waiting too long."

Huifang, a palace maid, was Consort Wang's personal maid. Seeing that her mistress was heartbroken for a long time after hearing that the emperor had only invited the Imperial Concubine to the Hua'e Xianghui Tower, she felt sorry for her mistress and gave her an idea to win the emperor's favor. Little did she know that the emperor would see through their scheme.

Under the scrutiny of a pair of stern eyes, Huifang's heart trembled and her shoulders shook, but in order not to cause trouble for her master, she forced herself to remain calm and composed in front of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the beauty is truly suffering from severe abdominal pain and misses you dearly. She cannot be separated from Your Majesty for even a moment. It was only because I saw that the beauty was in so much pain that she was dizzy and disoriented, yet still thinking of Your Majesty, that I dared to come and ask Your Majesty for help."

Li Longji curled his lips and gave a rather amused sneer.

“You are very loyal to your master. Get up and lead the way.”

Huifang calmed down and immediately got up, picked up the palace lantern that was on the ground, and went to the front.

"Your Highness, that little palace maid clearly used tricks to win favor for her master. Didn't you realize that?"

Gao Lishi helped Shi Yan up a stone step, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Shi Yan smiled and withdrew her hand.

“Eunuch Gao, there’s no need for that. I am not His Majesty, so please feel free to do as you please. There are guides ahead, and I can walk on my own without tripping over anything.”

To be honest, even though she became Yang Yuhuan and the most noble imperial concubine, she was still not used to treating the eunuchs and palace maids as servants.

Gao Lishi was used to serving the emperor and thought that Shi Yan was giving him face and didn't want to look down on him.

"Your Majesty is truly a woman of exceptional talent and beauty. It would be difficult to find another woman like her in the entire palace or even in the whole world."

Shi Yan looked up at the moon in the night sky, then turned back to look at Gao Lishi, who had a smile on his face.

"You flatter me, Eunuch Gao. I, Yu Huan, am unworthy of such praise."

"Sometimes people look at each other like they look at the moon in the sky. From afar, it looks beautiful and sacred, but if you get close, you will find that it is just a round ball full of craters. Eunuch Gao does not understand me, so how can you know that Yu Huan is really as you see her?"

Gao Lishi suddenly froze. Although he didn't quite understand Shi Yan's metaphor, the woman in front of him gave him an inexplicable feeling of being unfathomable and profound.

"That's what the Queen said."

"Now that I have delivered Your Highness, this servant will take my leave."

Gao Lishi bowed.

Shi Yan saw Gao Lishi's cautious and respectful demeanor and smiled nonchalantly.

"May you rest in peace, Eunuch Gao."

Before leaving, Gao Lishi couldn't help but take another deep look at the woman under the moonlight. Only when he met Shi Yan's deep eyes did he regain his composure and leave with his men.

"Your Highness, why is Eunuch Gao looking at you like that? As if you're scary."

"Your Majesty is also mistaken. The maidservant beside Consort Wang gave a flimsy explanation, yet Your Majesty actually believed it. Clearly, she deliberately intended to ambush Your Majesty on the way and trick you away."

"How infuriating! They're even vying for the Empress's favor in front of her."

Xiaodie spat twice in disdain.

Shi Yan couldn't help but smile upon seeing this.

"Alright, why bother getting angry with those people? I'm going to Mianhua Pavilion. Take Aman with you; I have something to say to her."

Xiaodie nodded and turned to look for Aman.

Shi Yan entered the Mianhua Pavilion accompanied by two palace maids.

The lamps in Mianhua Pavilion were already lit, and the dim light illuminated several beautifully designed palace lanterns, creating an exquisite scene. Shi Yan walked over and sat down on the small couch.

Two maids served her; one poured her a cup of tea, while the other lit the incense burner at the incense table.

About fifteen minutes later, Xiaodie led Aman, who had changed her clothes, into the pavilion. The two of them bowed to Shi Yan.

"Aman, do you know why I kept you by my side as my personal maid? You were originally one of An Lushan's men, and you are an outstanding dancer. With your beautiful appearance, you have won His Majesty's favor and could easily become a concubine."

"Let me guess, did An Lushan tell you that you must win His Majesty's favor and that you must be meticulous about everything concerning me? Or did he want you to infiltrate the palace as a spy, or even become an assassin who can kill His Majesty and me at any time?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Man broke out in a cold sweat and prepared to flee.

After hearing Shi Yan's words, Xiao Die subconsciously looked at A Man. Seeing that A Man didn't speak but just stared coldly at Shi Yan, she immediately ran to Shi Yan and opened her arms to block the two from looking at each other.

"Ah Man, could it be that, as Her Majesty says, you came to the palace with ulterior motives and ill intentions?"

"Don't come any closer! I'm telling you, if you dare to hurt my lady, I... I'll fight you to the death!"

When Aman saw Xiaodie's fierce expression, she couldn't help but recall the scene of the other girl being affectionate and friendly towards her not long ago.

"I never intended to harm Your Majesty."

How could Xiaodie believe that, in her eyes right now, Aman was a person with ill intentions?

Shi Yan saw A Man's dejected and dejected appearance.

"Xiaodie, step back. Aman won't hurt me, don't worry."

Xiaodie stared at Aman with suspicion until Aman nodded to show that she really wouldn't hurt Shiyan, then she stepped aside.

"Don't be nervous, I have no ill intentions towards you. From now on, you will serve me by my side."

"One day in the future, I will let you go. At that time, you will be a truly free person. You can go wherever you want and live whatever kind of life you want."