Time travel, quick transmigration

"Your Highness, please come with me quickly."

“An Lushan is about to lead his rebel army to Chang’an. If you don’t leave soon, you and His Majesty will be in danger.”

Seeing that Shi Yan showed no sign of panic and appeared completely calm, Gao Lishi assumed she was unaware of the implications and the seriousness of the consequences. He said anxiously.

"Your Highness, the rebel army is really about to storm Chang'an. We can't afford to delay. His Majesty has sent me to fetch you. Please come with me to meet His Majesty. He is currently waiting for you in his imperial carriage outside Xingqing Palace."

Gao Lishi was clearly extremely anxious.

Hearing firsthand from Gao Lishi that Li Longji was planning to flee, Shi Yan was indeed somewhat disappointed in Li Longji as the ruler of the country. The once vigorous and ambitious emperor, who had worked diligently to govern, was now willing to abandon his subjects, his palace, and his responsibilities and dignity as emperor to flee to Shu simply because of the threat of rebels. Was such a cowardly ruler still a ruler?

Looking back, Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty chose to die for his country when it was destroyed, rather than cowardly fleeing and trying to survive.

Shouldn't an emperor shoulder his responsibilities, live and die with his country and his people, and fight to the very end?

"ridiculous……"

Shi Yan stood up from in front of the dressing case.

"If that's the case, then let's go."

When Gao Lishi saw that Shi Yan had finally moved, he rushed forward to help her.

Shi Yan brushed aside Gao Lishi's hand and grabbed Aman, pulling her outside.

Upon seeing this, Gao Lishi immediately gave chase.

"Your Highness, won't you let Miss Aman pack some of your valuables? If there's anything you need to take, just have the palace servants pack it up as soon as possible. It won't make a difference if it takes a little longer. Just be quick."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yan suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"I have everything I need on me. Everything else is just material possessions. Why worry about anything else when I'm just trying to escape?"

"By the way, did His Majesty send someone to pick up Sister Mei and the others?"

Hearing that Shi Yan still cared about Jiang Caiping, Gao Lishi looked at Shi Yan's profile with surprise and disbelief.

"Your Majesty, this servant does not know."

Shi Yan's heart sank, but she still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that perhaps Li Longji had sent someone else to pick up Jiang Caiping, so she decided to wait until she met Li Longji before asking him for clarification.

"Never mind, let's go and meet with His Majesty first."

Gao Lishi nodded in agreement.

Shi Yan patted A Man's hand.

"Aman, go and call on the people in our palace to go together. Even if we can't all go, we can take as many as we can. Also, tell them to take all the money they've saved up."

Aman nodded and turned to inform the palace servants in Nanxun Palace.

By the time Gao Lishi came to his senses and tried to stop them, the barbarian had already left.

Soon everyone had arrived. Shi Yan gave a few instructions, and the group followed Shi Yan, A Man, and Gao Lishi cautiously and quietly toward Xingqing Hall.

Upon arriving at the gate of Xingqing Palace, Li Longji, who had been waiting anxiously, immediately ordered someone to lift the carriage curtain upon hearing the commotion. Li Longji saw Shi Yan approaching with a group of palace servants from afar, and his anxious heart instantly calmed down.

"Yu Huan, come inside quickly."

Li Longji called out to the person who was approaching.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yan nodded slightly and then looked firmly into Li Longji's eyes.

"Your Majesty, I wish to take these people with me when we leave the palace."

Looking at the faces before him, filled with fear and hope, Li Longji found himself unable to meet their gaze directly. He avoided their eyes, concealing his emotions. Although he felt that bringing too many people would be troublesome, he couldn't bring himself to object.

"As Yu Huan said."

"Yu Huan, we should leave now. Please get into the carriage."

Shi Yan thanked Li Longji for his kindness, then turned to the palace servants in Nanxun Palace.

"After you leave the palace, go your separate ways. With the country in peril, you can only rely on yourselves. You must strive to survive; the clouds will eventually part and the sun will shine again."

Upon hearing this, Yuan'er and the others were filled with gratitude, and tears welled up in their eyes as they thanked Shi Yan.

"We've kept your words in mind, Your Majesty. Please take good care of yourself..."

Shi Yan felt a pang of sadness, but she hardened her heart and refused to watch them board the imperial carriage again.

"Your Majesty, where are we going? Is it really safe once we leave Chang'an?"

Shi Yan looked at Li Longji, who was sitting upright in the main seat, and asked him softly, hiding the mockery in her eyes.

Li Longji was unwilling to admit his defeat, even less willing to face his own cowardice. He also pretended not to hear the doubt in Shi Yan's words and put on a calm and composed expression.

"Shu is a rich and strategically important region, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It has not fallen into the hands of the rebels. We can go there and settle down, and then we can regroup and start over. One day I will definitely return to Chang'an, as long as I live."

Shi Yan was too lazy to expose Li Longji's self-deception, and changed the subject.

"Your Majesty, could you please have someone invite Sister Mei and the others to come along?"

Li Longji paused for a moment upon hearing this, avoiding Shi Yan's intense gaze.

"I can't afford to worry about anything else right now..."

"As long as Yu Huan is by my side, that's enough."

Shi Yan wasn't moved or pleased that Li Longji had taken her with him on his escape; on the contrary, at that moment, she truly felt Li Longji's selfishness and cold-heartedness. Because in the end, he too abandoned Yang Yuhuan, didn't he? Ultimately, Li Longji only cared about himself.

"Your Majesty, if we leave, what will happen if the rebels storm the palace and Sister Mei and the others are unable to resist? Are we just going to let them fend for themselves?"

As if he could foresee the impending tragedy, Li Longji felt a pang of pity. His brow furrowed, and he was about to speak when he was interrupted by Chen Xuanli's report from outside the imperial carriage.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. The princes, grandsons, princesses, and other officials who accompanied you are waiting outside the palace gates. According to our scouts, An Lushan's rebel army will arrive outside Chang'an in a few hours. If Your Majesty delays any longer, it will be too late to leave."

Upon hearing this, Li Longji's eyes trembled, and his hands clenched into fists.

"lets go!"

Chen Xuanli outside respectfully agreed, and then shouted in a strong voice, "Let's go!"

Before long, the imperial carriage carrying Shi Yan and Li Longji began to move.

The atmosphere in the carriage was extremely quiet for a moment. Shi Yan did not speak again, and Li Longji, feeling guilty, did not utter a word throughout the entire process, his face filled with sorrow.

As the An Lushan army approached, at dawn on the day of Yiwei, Li Longji, along with Shi Yan, the Yang sisters who had come to the palace seeking refuge, the princes, grandsons, princesses, concubines, Yang Guozhong, Wei Jiansu, Wei Fangjin, Chen Xuanli, and their close attendants, fled through Yanqiu Gate.

"Xiao Ba, do you have any way to save Jiang Caiping, or at least keep her alive?"

Knowing Jiang Caiping's tragic end, Shi Yan sought help from 0804 with a glimmer of hope.

0804 was also somewhat reluctant, but still answered truthfully.

"I'm sorry, this is the path Jiang Caiping chose herself. She has to bear whatever the outcome is. No one can change her fate or interfere with her ending. Her death was inevitable, and she has no regrets or complaints. You tried to persuade her before, but she remained steadfast in her decision. As an outsider, you have no responsibility for her life. So why bother?"

Shi Yan was somewhat taken aback.

"Is that so... Fine then..."