Traveling through thousands of years, I only love you

Chapter 5: Palace Turbulence

The palace, this magnificent yet turbulent maze, once again drags Li Lingyuan and Xiao Yi into its vortex. As a prince, Xiao Yi is already at the forefront of the power struggle, and Li Lingyuan's appearance is like a stone thrown into this turbulent situation, stirring up a thousand waves.

Li Lingyuan followed Xiao Yi back into the palace, feeling uneasy. This time, he returned because of rumors spreading within the palace that Xiao Yi was secretly forming a clique and plotting treason. Xiao Yi knew this was a plot orchestrated by his political enemies, and he had to clear his name within the palace. At the same time, he was determined to protect Li Lingyuan and prevent her from coming to any harm.

Li Lingyuan, dressed in a simple palace dress, held Xiao Yi's arm, trying to appear calm and composed. However, her palms were slightly sweaty, and her eyes scanned the surroundings warily. As soon as they entered the palace gate, they felt the strange looks from everyone around them, some of which were gloating, while others were indifferent and indifferent.

Xiao Yi took Li Lingyuan and went straight to the imperial study, ready to explain everything to the emperor. On the way, they met a noble concubine. The noble concubine was dressed in gorgeous clothes and wore dazzling pearls and jade on her head, but there was a cunning look in her eyes. "Hey, isn't this the prince and Miss Li? What, you still want to come to the palace?" The noble concubine said sarcastically. Xiao Yi frowned slightly, "Your Highness, I am here to plead with the emperor. I hope you will not stop me." The noble concubine sneered, "Your Highness, now everyone in the palace is saying that you are plotting treason. Aren't you afraid that the emperor will punish you? And this Miss Li, you must not be implicated by the prince." Li Lingyuan knelt slightly and saluted, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I believe in your innocence and will stand by you." A trace of jealousy flashed in the noble concubine's eyes, "Humph, you don't know what life and death is." After that, she left with the palace maids.

Arriving at the Imperial Study, the Emperor sat at his desk reviewing memorials. Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan knelt to pay their respects. The Emperor raised his head and gazed at Xiao Yi with authority. "Uncle, do you know why you came to the palace this time?" Xiao Yi said, "Your Majesty, I was framed. I am loyal to the court and have no intention of rebellion." The Emperor nodded slightly. "Uncle, I also hope you were wronged. But now the evidence is irrefutable. How do you intend to explain yourself?" As he spoke, the Emperor tossed a stack of memorials to the ground. Xiao Yi picked them up and examined them carefully, discovering they were all forged letters colluded between him and certain ministers.

Li Lingyuan watched from the sidelines, knowing full well that this was a carefully planned trap. She said, "Your Majesty, I trust the prince's character. These letters must have been forged. Please investigate." The emperor looked at Li Lingyuan. "Miss Li, why are you so sure?" Li Lingyuan replied, "Your Majesty, the prince has always served the court wholeheartedly and has never done anything wrong. Furthermore, while the handwriting in these letters is similar to the prince's, a closer look reveals flaws." The emperor, after hearing Li Lingyuan's words, fell into deep thought.

At this moment, a minister came to report that a large number of weapons had been found in Xiao Yi's palace. This undoubtedly added another crime to Xiao Yi's charges. Xiao Yi was shocked, knowing that this was another move by the enemy. "Your Majesty, this is a frame-up. How could there be such things in my nephew's palace?" The emperor's face darkened. "Uncle, what else do you have to say at this point?" Li Lingyuan looked at Xiao Yi with a firm gaze. "Your Majesty, the prince has been wronged. Please give us some time, we will definitely find out the truth." The emperor hesitated and said, "Okay, I will give you three days. If you still can't prove your innocence after three days, uncle, I can't protect you."

After Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan left the imperial study, they began investigating the matter. Returning to the palace, they carefully examined the area where the weapons had been found and discovered some unfamiliar footprints. Li Lingyuan said, "Your Highness, it appears someone took advantage of the palace's lax security to place the weapons here." Xiao Yi nodded, "We must quickly identify the culprit."

Over the next two days, they visited the palace, questioned servants, and investigated the surroundings. Finally, they found a clue: a guard had seen a mysterious carriage parked near the palace on the night of the murder. Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan followed this lead and discovered that the carriage belonged to a high official, one of Xiao Yi's political enemies and a frequent target of hostility.

They decided to confront the minister, but when they arrived at his residence, they found him dead, the scene in chaos. Xiao Yi realized that the enemy was killing him to silence him, trying to cut off the clues. But they did not give up. In the minister's study, they found some letters that mentioned collusion with another high-ranking official and a plan to frame Xiao Yi.

Just as they were about to present the evidence to the Emperor, they were attacked by a group of assassins. Wielding sharp blades, the assassins charged towards Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan. Xiao Yi shielded Li Lingyuan behind him and engaged the assassins. Li Lingyuan also grabbed a nearby weapon to aid Xiao Yi. During the fight, Xiao Yi was wounded, but he remained undeterred and fought off the assassins.

Li Lingyuan looked at the injured Xiao Yi, anxiously asking, "Your Highness, how are you?" Xiao Yi smiled faintly and said, "I'm fine. We must hurry to see the Emperor." They brought the evidence to the Emperor and explained everything. The Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation and severe punishment for the mastermind behind the incident.

After this incident, Xiao Yi was cleared of his grievances, but he and Li Lingyuan also realized that the struggle within the palace was becoming increasingly intense, and they had to be more cautious. Throughout this process, Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan's relationship continued to deepen. Xiao Yi's admiration for Li Lingyuan's bravery and wisdom grew, while Li Yuan also gained a deeper understanding of Xiao Yi's deep affection and responsibility.

However, the peace at the palace did not last long. Soon after, a banquet was held in the palace, attended by envoys from various countries. The banquet was filled with singing and dancing, creating a lively atmosphere. Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan also attended the banquet. They had intended to remain low-key, but they once again became the focus of attention.

At the banquet, a foreign envoy saw Li Lingyuan and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He walked over to Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan and said, "This girl is truly beautiful. I wonder who she is to the prince?" Xiao Yi frowned slightly. "She is my beloved. I hope the envoy will not disturb her." The foreign envoy persisted, "Your Highness, I would like to dance with this girl. Is that possible?" Xiao Yi was about to refuse, but Li Lingyuan said, "Your Highness, it's okay. I will dance with her."

Li Lingyuan danced gracefully with the foreign envoys on the dance floor. Her graceful movements attracted everyone's attention. During the dance, the foreign envoys tried to make a move on Li Lingyuan, but Li Lingyuan cleverly avoided it. Xiao Yi watched from the side, his face gloomy and his heart filled with anger. After the dance ended, the foreign envoys still wanted to harass Li Lingyuan. Xiao Yi stepped forward and pulled Li Lingyuan behind him, "Envoy, please respect yourself." The foreign envoy sneered, "Your Highness, is this how your country treats guests?"

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, the emperor stepped in to mediate. "Envoy, today is a banquet. I hope you won't ruin the atmosphere." The foreign envoy snorted and returned to his seat. Xiao Yi looked at Li Lingyuan, "Are you okay?" Li Lingyuan shook his head, "I'm fine, Your Highness. Please don't let me cause a conflict with the foreign envoy." Xiao Yi nodded, "I know, but I won't let anyone bully you."

After the banquet, Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan returned to the palace. Xiao Yi said to Li Lingyuan, "I was really worried about you at the banquet. I cannot tolerate anyone doing anything inappropriate to you." Li Lingyuan looked at Xiao Yi, his eyes filled with emotion. "Your Highness, I know your feelings. With you by my side in this palace, I am not afraid of anything." Xiao Yi held Li Lingyuan in his arms. "I will always protect you and will not let you come to any harm."

However, what they don't know is that the foreign envoy has not given up. He is secretly plotting a conspiracy to take Li Lingyuan for himself. At the same time, some forces in the palace are also paying attention to Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan, and they want to use this opportunity to attack Xiao Yi again.

In the days that followed, Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan noticed suspicious individuals frequently appearing around the palace. They strengthened the palace's defenses, but still felt uneasy. One day, while strolling in the palace's gardens, Li Lingyuan was suddenly overcome by a cloud of smoke and fainted. When she awoke, she found herself imprisoned in an unfamiliar area, guarded by foreign soldiers.

Li Lingyuan was shocked, realizing she had been kidnapped by a foreign envoy. She tried to find a way to escape, but the area was heavily guarded. Just as she was feeling desperate, Xiao Yi and the palace guards found her. It turned out that after Xiao Yi discovered Li Lingyuan was missing, he searched everywhere and found her here through some clues.

Seeing Li Lingyuan imprisoned there, Xiao Yi was filled with anger. He led his guards in a fierce battle with the foreign soldiers. During the battle, Xiao Yi was extremely brave, with only one goal in mind: rescuing Li Lingyuan. After a hard fight, they finally repelled the foreign soldiers and rescued Li Lingyuan.

Li Lingyuan threw herself into Xiao Yi's arms, tears couldn't help but flow down, "Prince, I thought I would never see you again." Xiao Yi hugged her tightly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you." This incident made them cherish each other more. They knew that in the complex environment of the palace, their love faced countless tests, but they were willing to face them together.

Not long after, Xiao Yi asked the emperor for permission to return to the palace, and the emperor agreed. Xiao Yi and Li Lingyuan happily returned to the palace.