Time travel, quick transmigration

"Lord Guo, Lord Li, I was ordered to go to Luoyang to provide support. Afterwards, I heard that Shi Siming led the rebel army to invade Hebei and attempted to occupy Youzhou. I was concerned about the safety of the people of Youzhou and could not bear the loss of Youzhou. That's why I privately led my generals and soldiers to relieve the crisis in Youzhou. Now that the crisis in Hebei has been resolved, I should return to Chang'an to apologize to His Majesty and report back."

"Please forgive me for leaving midway, as I am unable to continue fighting alongside you two. Farewell."

Xiao Huanling bowed in greeting as he spoke.

Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi immediately stood up to help him.

"Huanling, how can we accept such a great gift from you?"

The two men clearly showed their appreciation for his talent and their reluctance to let him go.

Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi were not often in court and were not power-hungry or scheming. They did not know that Xiao Huanling was actually the son of Xiao Song. They only thought that he was a young general who was valued and cultivated by Li Longji. When they heard that Xiao Huanling had been ordered to serve as a military governor in Hedong at a young age, they were secretly amazed, but they also had more doubts and expectations about Xiao Huanling.

When Xiao Huanling led his troops to Hebei to resist the rebels, his calmness and decisiveness in battle, his bravery and fearlessness in the face of the enemy, and his strategic demeanor impressed them all.

"Although you led your troops into Hebei without authorization, it is understandable. His Majesty will surely forgive your loyalty to the country and its people and will not punish you severely."

"Later, Lin Huai and I will each write a letter to vouch for you. When you see His Majesty, present the letter to him, and I think His Majesty will handle the matter leniently."

"It's good that you're going to Chang'an. Geshu Han suffered a great defeat, and the defense of Tongguan is in grave danger. If Tongguan falls, that scoundrel An Lushan will definitely lead his army straight to Chang'an. If you go to Chang'an, you can protect Chang'an and His Majesty. We cannot leave without being summoned. Although Hebei is temporarily stable, there is a fear that Shi Siming will make a comeback. His Majesty's safety is in Huanling's hands."

Xiao Huanling naturally did not show any disdain or dissatisfaction towards Li Longji, and bowed to Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi again.

"Thank you both for your care and guidance these past few days. I will benefit greatly from it for the rest of my life."

"You two are both so passionate and dedicated to protecting our country; you are truly pillars of the nation and role models for us all. The battlefield is fraught with danger, so please take good care of yourselves."

Guo Ziyi was deeply moved, and his impression of Xiao Huanling improved even further.

"Please wait a moment, Lin Huai and I will go and write a letter right away."

A short while later, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi brought the letter they had written to Xiao Huanling in an envelope.

Xiao Huanling accepted the letter and bowed to the two men again.

"Huanling is grateful to the two gentlemen for speaking up for Huanling and for vouching for Huanling to His Majesty."

Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi hurriedly said.

"No need for that, it's just a small favor..."

Although they said that, they still admired Xiao Huanling's humble, polite, and grateful demeanor.

In fact, Xiao Huanling had a feeling that the letters from Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi might not be of any use, and he didn't expect them to vouch for him in any way, but he was indeed grateful for their kindness.

After exchanging a few more words and bidding farewell, Xiao Huanling led Jiang He and the others out of the main tent. They then took stock of the Xuan Ce Army and left the outskirts of the camp under the watchful eyes of Guo Ziyi and the others.

On his way back to Chang'an, Xiao Huanling heard the news that Geshu Han had suffered a great defeat, that he himself had been captured by his men and taken to the enemy camp, and that Tongguan had been completely lost.

This was undoubtedly bad news for the Tang army.

Although the fall of Tongguan was within Xiao Huanling's expectations, he did not expect it to happen so quickly. Caught off guard, he moved even faster. Thinking of Shi Yan, who was still in Chang'an, he was extremely anxious and wished he could appear in Chang'an in an instant to protect his beloved from harm.

In the main hall, news arrived by urgent courier that Geshu Han had been defeated and captured, and that Tongguan had completely fallen.

The emperor, seated high on his dragon throne, was shocked and horrified. His eyes instantly lost all their light, and a sense of despair, as if the empire was about to collapse, enveloped everyone's hearts.

The officials in the imperial court were all shrouded in gloom and despair...

Soon after, Tongguan fell, and rumors spread that the rebels were about to reach Chang'an, causing panic and chaos.

On the day of Jiawu, only one or two officials attended court. Li Longji went to the Qin Zheng Tower to issue an edict saying that he would personally lead an expedition, but no one believed him.

"Your Majesty, Tongguan has fallen..."

Aman looked at Shi Yan with a worried expression.

Shi Yan raised her eyes.

"I see."

At this moment, Shi Yan truly felt the helplessness and regret of a prosperous dynasty heading towards decline.

Seeing a hint of sadness and worry in Aman's eyes, Shi Yan gently took her hand.

"It's alright, trust me, we'll get through this safely."

“Once we leave this place, Ah Man and I will be truly free and will no longer be bound to this palace.”

"Although we have lived in the deep palace for a long time, you should have seen it, Ah Man. That emperor who enjoys the four seas, controls the country, and sits high on the dragon throne no longer cares about the people's livelihood. He only indulges in comfort, flattery, and pleasure all day long. He is no longer the wise ruler who created a prosperous era. Instead, he only favors treacherous and wicked people. This country was ruined by him. Although the current situation is regrettable and lamentable, it is too late to turn back."

"You don't need to feel sorry, besides, I never coveted these things in the first place..."

Aman nodded.

“Your Majesty, I understand. But once we leave here, you will have to endure a life of wandering and fear. I feel so sorry for you… Your Majesty, you have never suffered before and are pampered. How can you get used to such a life of hardship?”

In Aman's heart, a beautiful woman as noble as Shi Yan should live a life of ease and comfort, without any worries or concerns.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yan smiled faintly.

“I know you care about me. But how do you know that I can’t get used to simple meals, or endure the hardships of living outdoors and wandering? Besides, wandering is only temporary.”

"Silly girl, don't underestimate any woman. Otherwise, look at yourself. Aren't you always very resilient? You live well wherever you are and take good care of yourself."

Shi Yan praised herself indirectly, which made Aman a little embarrassed, but her worried heart was somewhat calmed down.

Inside the plum garden of Zichen Palace, Xiangli, who had gone to gather information, hurried into the plum garden and found Jiang Caiping admiring the plum blossoms.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Tongguan has fallen!"

Xiangli, looking utterly terrified and panicked, rushed to Jiang Caiping.

Jiang Caiping's heart trembled, and the red plum blossom she was holding slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. After a long while, she came to her senses and looked at the plum blossoms that were blooming beautifully in the garden. She was filled with a sense of desolation and loneliness.

"No matter how beautiful and abundant the plum blossoms are in the garden, in the end they only add to the desolation, a mirage, an empty dream..."

It seemed as if it were both a sigh and a lament.

A woman dressed in snow-white walked slowly forward. Standing there, Xiangli watched the woman's back and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness and sorrow. Why did she feel that her mistress was so lonely?

On this day, the emperor's imperial guards moved to the Daming Palace. In the evening, General Chen Xuanli reorganized the six armies, bestowed generous rewards, and selected nine hundred horses from the stables, all without anyone outside knowing.