Time travel, quick transmigration

"Ah."

Xiao Huanling responded with a nod of agreement.

Looking at Xiao Huanling, who seemed so easy to talk to, Shi Yan was somewhat dazed. It turned out that one really couldn't judge a book by its cover. If she hadn't gotten to know him better, she would never have believed that the arrogant and unrestrained young man she first met could also have such a gentle side.

"Your white horse is very beautiful; it seems to understand what I'm saying."

Seeing that Xiao Huanling kept her mouth shut and didn't say anything, only quietly watching her, Shi Yan found it somewhat amusing. It seemed that the real Xiao Huanling was a quiet and reserved person. So she found a topic of conversation and smoothly started a chat.

Hearing Shi Yan praise his horse's beauty, Xiao Huanling felt both happy and annoyed, though he couldn't understand why. Perhaps it was because he disliked Shi Yan praising him or liking anyone other than him. Even his own horse was jealous; Xiao Huanling suddenly felt hopeless.

"You like it?"

The voice was muffled.

Shi Yan smiled and nodded.

"What is its name?"

Xiao Huanling gave her a dry reply upon hearing this.

"Its name is Liuyun. I bought Liuyun from a foreign merchant. It was sick at the time and kept looking at me with its clear, bright eyes. I thought I heard it pleading for help, so I traded a jade pendant from my pocket with the merchant and took it away. I found some herbs for it to eat, and after a few days, it recovered from its illness. Since then, it has stayed with me, and it's the only one who has stayed with me."

Xiao Huanling spoke slowly and calmly, and when he mentioned that only Liu Yun was with him, he did not show any sadness, as if he were simply stating an extremely mundane matter.

Shi Yan's heart stirred slightly.

"It is destined to be with you; it was your pure and kind heart that saved it."

"Liuyun is a beautiful name, and it suits it very well."

“Liuyun must care about you a lot. When you were seriously injured and unconscious on the way, it stayed by your side. After I rescued you, it followed behind my carriage and refused to leave. If I hadn’t communicated with it properly, it wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving you alone, nor would it have listened to me and left temporarily.”

"Once your injury heals, be sure to go find it."

Xiao Huanling was deeply moved upon hearing this, and suddenly felt ashamed of the jealousy that had just arisen in her. Liu Yun was his good friend, and he should be happy that Shi Yan liked and praised Liu Yun.

"I will. Once your injuries have fully healed, I'll take you to find it. It will be happy to see you. Liuyun likes you. It's usually very cold to anyone other than me, and it's also arrogant. No one can get close to it."

"This time I was careless and got drugged and beaten up, but those people didn't get away with it either. Before Liu Yun took me away, he kicked each of them once."

He seemed to feel quite relieved as he spoke, completely unaware that he had almost lost his life.

Shi Yan couldn't reveal the truth, but she felt that Xiao Huanling should learn a lesson from this.

"The reason you're in such a sorry state and have suffered so many injuries is because you're too arrogant. You've offended people and incurred their hatred and revenge. They're determined to kill you. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. If you don't restrain your behavior and be careful, you'll suffer a great loss."

“You won’t always be this lucky. If you put yourself in danger again, or even face death, what will Liu Yun do? How will those who care about you cope?”

"Would you care? Would you care if I lived or died?"

Xiao Huanling couldn't help but ask, his gaze fixed intently on Shi Yan.

Shi Yan was taken aback by the question, but when she met Xiao Huanling's bright eyes, she couldn't bear to see him lose his beautiful radiance.

"Of course I care, since I already consider you a friend. So remember to keep a low profile in the future and make yourself stronger."

Xiao Huanling received the response she had been hoping for, and her eyes lit up with a joyful smile.

"Yes, I will. I will keep your words in mind."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yan exchanged a smile with him.

"You should rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

Xiao Huanling felt reluctant to see Shi Yan leave, but in order for Shi Yan to get some rest sooner, he smiled and said okay.

Before leaving, Shi Yan gave him a few more instructions.

Only after Shi Yan's figure disappeared from his sight did Xiao Huanling reluctantly turn his gaze away and lie down on the bed. The room was extremely quiet; he could hear his own breathing. With Shi Yan by his side, everything felt warm and vibrant, but when she was gone and he was all alone, only loneliness remained.

The next morning, a female Taoist priest named Yunxin, whom Shi Yan had met a few times before, came to Huanqing Residence to see her. She not only brought her breakfast, but also gave her two sets of Taoist robes of the same color and similar style as Wenying's, as well as lotus crowns.

Yun Xin said that she had delivered the robes to her as instructed by the abbot, the meaning of which was self-evident.

After accepting the gift, Shi Yan thanked her and then had Xiao Die escort Yun Xin out of Huanqing Residence.

Looking at the ceremonial robes placed on the table, Shi Yan picked them up and unfolded them, her heart filled with indescribable emotions.

"I never imagined that after arriving in this alternate dimension, I would not only have to become Yang Guifei, but also have to enter this Taoist sect to become a nun and cultivate."

"Abbot Qingfeng is truly consistent. If she hadn't given me this Taoist robe, I would have forgotten that I came here to become a nun and cultivate Taoism."

As soon as Xiaodie entered, she saw Shi Yan holding a Taoist robe, lost in thought. She assumed that Shi Yan was secretly grieving. After all, she was a woman in the prime of her life, and a princess. She hadn't seen through the illusions of the world, so who would be so foolish as to want to become a nun?

"Miss..."

Xiao Die walked slowly to Shi Yan's side, but hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong? Silly girl, why do you look so sad? Who upset our Xiaodie?"

Shi Yan looked at Xiao Die with concern in her eyes.

Xiaodie's nose suddenly felt sore, but she didn't know how to express it, so she could only stand there dejectedly, feeling utterly useless.

"I'll go change into these clothes, and you can redo my hair later."

"The Emperor has decreed that I should become a Taoist monk. Now that I have entered the Taoist temple, I am a true monk. Dongling Temple has its own rules, and I should abide by them while I am staying here."

"Treat spiritual practice as self-cultivation, it's nothing. I don't care, so why are you upset?"

"Xiaodie, do you listen to everything I say?"

Xiaodie nodded emphatically immediately.

"Yes, I will only listen to you."

Shi Yan nodded and smiled.

"Very well. Then you are not allowed to be sad because of my becoming a female Taoist priest, do you listen to me?"

Xiao Die paused for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded hesitantly. "This servant will obey your command."

Shi Yan then took the Taoist robe in her hand and went behind the screen to change her clothes.

Li Longji, who had just finished court, was sitting at his desk listening to Gao Lishi report the results of his secret investigation.

"Your Majesty, after investigating, the Hidden Guards have confirmed Lady Taizhen's whereabouts and sent the news back to me this morning. I have already instructed them to ensure Lady Taizhen's safety while she is away."

Li Longji gave a soft hum, but didn't look up, only staring at the memorial in his hand.

Gao Lishi glanced at the emperor at the head of the table, unsure of his intentions, and lowered his head to explain in detail.

"Your Majesty, after leaving the Prince's Palace, the Lady went to Dongling Temple, west of Linghua Temple in Changlefang, to cultivate Taoism. For some reason, the abbot of the temple kept the Lady there. The Lady is currently staying at Dongling Temple and is doing well."

Li Longji only said that he wanted to find Yang Yuhuan's whereabouts, without mentioning that he needed to know every little detail. Gao Lishi automatically ignored any minor details that might displease Li Longji.

"She's quite capable."

The ambiguous statement made Gao Lishi, who was somewhat unsure of the emperor's true thoughts, feel a sudden tightness in his chest. He dared not utter a sound and could only remain silent.

"Make preparations, we will leave the palace at noon tomorrow."

The emperor's voice was deep and calm, yet it made Gao Lishi, who had seen many storms, feel a sense of unease.

"Your servant obeys the decree and will immediately order preparations to be made."

Gao Lishi respectfully accepted the imperial decree and then withdrew.