Time travel, quick transmigration

Shi Yan and A Man returned to the palace via the secret passage, carefully avoiding the palace guards, maids, and eunuchs along the way, and successfully returned to Nanxun Palace.

The eunuch guarding the palace gates breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shi Yan and A Man finally return.

"Your Majesty, you and Aman are finally back! I was so worried about you."

As soon as Shi Yan entered Nanxun Palace, she removed the curtain and handed it to Aman.

As she walked forward, she turned back and smiled at the round-faced eunuch.

"troubled you."

"I said I would come back as soon as possible."

"Did anyone come during my absence?"

The little eunuch shook his head.

"No one has ever been here."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yan added.

"Alright, I understand. It must have been hard for you to guard the gate all this time. Now that you have nothing to do, you can go back to your quarters and rest. You don't need to be on duty today."

As he spoke, he looked at Aman.

Aman understood and took out a silver ingot from her purse and gave it to the little eunuch.

Upon seeing this, the young eunuch quickly waved his hand, declining to accept the gift.

Shi Yan gestured to A Man with her eyes, and A Man forcefully placed the silver in the little eunuch's hand.

"Just take it; it's a reward from Her Majesty."

The young eunuch, clutching the heavy silver in his hand, glanced at Shi Yan before quickly lowering his head.

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for the reward."

Shi Yan smiled gently.

"This is what you deserve. You don't need to follow me anymore, go on your way."

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch respectfully bowed and watched Shi Yan and Aman walk a distance before turning and leaving.

Shi Yan led A Man straight back to the bedroom. Yuan'er, who had been guarding the bedroom door, saw the two of them and immediately came forward excitedly to greet them.

"Your Majesty, you're back."

"Aman, hurry and go into the palace with the Empress. Help her redo her hair. I'll go prepare a hot bath for her."

Yuan'er fully demonstrated her considerate side.

Aman agreed and was about to follow Shiyan inside.

Suddenly, the chant of "His Majesty has arrived!" came from ahead.

Shi Yan glanced at A Man and Yuan'er with an unchanged expression.

"No need to panic."

“Yuan’er, hurry up and go to greet His Majesty. Invite him to Mianhua Pavilion. Tell His Majesty that I had just woken up after returning to my palace to rest due to a relapse of my old illness. Aman is helping me with my makeup. Once I’m done, I will come to Mianhua Pavilion to see His Majesty soon.”

Upon hearing this, Yuan'er looked at Shi Yan and saw her calm and composed expression. Feeling more confident, she bowed and agreed, then quickly took her leave without delay.

“Aman, come with me into the palace.”

After saying this, Shi Yan stepped into the hall, and A Man followed closely behind.

"Li Shi, it has been quite some time since I last visited the Imperial Concubine."

"I'm too busy with official duties to take care of her, and I don't know if she blames me."

As Li Longji walked through the corridor, the scene before him made him feel both desolate and melancholic. These days, due to the rebellions of An Lushan and Shi Siming, he was not only deeply affected but also exhausted, angry, and frustrated.

His loss of appetite and restless sleep over the past few days have made him look much more haggard.

Seeing the emperor, to whom he had been so loyal, so dejected, Gao Lishi felt extremely sad.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. The Imperial Concubine only feels sorry for Your Majesty and would never blame you."

"Everyone in the world knows how much you cherish the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine knows it all too well. It is truly unique in the palace that you can still find time to visit the Imperial Concubine despite your heavy state affairs. This is an honor that no one else enjoys. The Imperial Concubine will be overjoyed to see you later."

As expected, Gao Lishi knew Li Longji's temperament best. His words comforted Li Longji, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Long live your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, inquire after Your Majesty's well-being..."

All the palace maids and eunuchs in Nanxun Palace knelt on the ground when they saw Li Longji.

"Get up, where is your mistress?"

Li Longji raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up.

Just as everyone was looking at each other, unsure of how to respond, Yuan'er, who had come to greet Li Longji as instructed by Shi Yan, quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has sent me to welcome you."

"Her Majesty's old illness relapsed earlier, so she went back to her palace to rest. She just woke up, and Aman is combing her hair. Her Majesty asked me to invite you to the Mianhua Pavilion to have some tea and sit for a while. She will soon go to the Mianhua Pavilion to see His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Li Longji's brows furrowed, and he spoke with some nervousness.

"Did you invite Xue Hanyi to examine your concubine? What did Xue Qing say? Is it serious? This Xue Hanyi is useless. He has been treating her for so many years, but my concubine's old ailment still flares up from time to time."

Li Longji was annoyed.

The emperor's tone was unfriendly and low, and everyone present dared not utter a sound, lest they offend him.

Yuan'er remained relatively calm.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty is just a little dizzy, but it's nothing serious, so we didn't call Physician Xue."

"Her Majesty woke up after a short nap and was much better. She was delighted to hear that His Majesty had come, and quickly got up to call Aman to help her with her hair and makeup..."

Yuan'er's words struck a chord with Li Longji, and the expression on his face visibly softened.

"I am relieved that she is alright."

"Since your mistress sent you to welcome me to Mianhua Pavilion, then lead the way."

Yuan'er lowered her head in agreement and respectfully went to lead the way.

At this moment, Shi Yan was sitting in front of the dressing box, facing the carved bronze mirror, letting A Man comb her hair and put on flowers. With her mind preoccupied with Xiao Huanling who had not yet returned to Chang'an, she had no time to care about why Li Longji, who was so busy, had taken the time to come to Nanxun Palace to see her.

Xiao Huanling and his entourage, who were rushing towards Chang'an, encountered a group of bandits in Jinzhou who had gathered during the chaos and were robbing, burning, killing, and looting. Although eager to return home, Xiao Huanling could not stand idly by and immediately ordered the bandits to be wiped out. By the time the bandits and their collusion with small rebel groups were eliminated and the people were pacified, some time had already been lost. After leaving Jinzhou, they successfully arrived in Tongzhou, but were caught in a downpour while passing through a mountainous area. Just when the rain stopped, their path was blocked by a landslide.

Xiao Huanling sat in the makeshift tent, her expression indifferent and quiet. When Jiang He entered the tent, he saw Xiao Huanling, who was cold and aloof, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

“Brother Xiao, I know you are in a hurry to get back to Chang’an, but the road is blocked by landslide rocks, and we can’t get through for the time being. We can only clear them by manpower.”

"No matter how anxious you are, you can't go without eating."

Xiao Huanling glanced at Jiang He, then looked away and sat there silently.

He couldn't express his frustration and anxiety to anyone, nor could anyone understand. Chang'an was just ahead, and the person he loved was waiting for him. The situation was so critical that he couldn't have peace of mind until he saw Shi Yan. He just hated himself for not having the power to sweep away everything that was blocking his way.

The situation can change in an instant. If obstacles prevent him from getting to his loved ones quickly, or if his loved ones are in dire straits and he is not there, he will never forgive himself.

"You can leave now. Let me be by myself for a while. I'm not hungry, and I won't starve if I skip a meal."