Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

Inside the Imperial Study, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. Although Wu Daozi's discovery brought a glimmer of hope, everyone knew that the Shadow Pavilion would never easily let go of anyone who stood in their way.

Hongli looked at Wu Daozi with a serious expression. "Mr. Wu, this matter is of utmost urgency. You must act with extreme caution. The Shadow Pavilion will do everything in its power to prevent you from breaking the formation."

Wu Daozi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am well aware of the seriousness of this matter. I will secretly intensify my research and try my best not to reveal any flaws."

Little Swallow couldn't help but remind him, "Mr. Wu, please be careful. If you need anything, just let us know."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will be careful," Wu Daozi said.

Little Swallow blinked her big eyes, looking worried, and said, "Mr. Wu, will those bad guys come to cause trouble again?"

Wu Daozi smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry, Princess. As long as everyone is careful, they won't succeed easily."

After Wu Daozi left, Hongli said to Xiao Yanzi, "Xiao Yanzi, Xiao Yanzi has been frightened this time. You should spend more time with her and make sure she doesn't suffer any psychological trauma."

Little Swallow nodded, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I will always stay with Little Swallow. However, the Shadow Pavilion is really too hateful. We must find a way to wipe them out as soon as possible."

At this moment, Little Swallow took Hongli's hand and said earnestly, "Father, I also want to help. Although I am young, I can still do some things."

Hongli patted Little Swallow's head and said, "Little Swallow, your task now is to eat well, sleep well, and grow up healthy. Your father and empress will handle everything else."

"But I want to do my part for everyone!" Little Swallow said somewhat unwillingly.

Little Swallow smiled and said, "Little Swallow, as long as you're happy every day, you're doing us a huge favor."

Meanwhile, Hong Zhou had already begun his covert investigation. Disguised and accompanied by a few trusted confidants, he arrived at a tavern in the capital city, a melting pot of all sorts of people. This was a hub for all kinds of information, and Hong Zhou hoped to find some clues about the Shadow Pavilion there.

As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the din of noise from the tavern. Hongzhou found a corner to sit down, ordered a pot of wine, and quietly observed the people around him.

A moment later, several burly men at the next table caught his attention. They were talking in hushed tones, their expressions somewhat mysterious.

"Have you heard? It seems the Shadow Pavilion is making some big moves lately," said a burly man with a full beard.

Another tall, thin man chimed in, "Yes, it seems to be related to something in the palace. I'm not quite sure what exactly it is."

Hong Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He gave a wink to his trusted confidant, who understood and quietly approached the group of burly men, casually striking up a conversation: "Brothers, you mentioned the Shadow Pavilion earlier? What kind of organization is that? It sounds pretty powerful."

The burly man with the thick beard glanced at his confidant and asked warily, "Why are you asking about this?"

The confidant quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "I was just curious. You all sounded so mysterious, so I couldn't help but ask. If it's inconvenient for you gentlemen to say, then just pretend I didn't ask."

The tall, thin man waved his hand. "There's nothing inconvenient to say. The Shadow Pavilion is a mysterious organization. I've heard it's very powerful, with people in both the martial arts world and the imperial court."

Hongzhou listened from the side, thinking to himself: It seems that the Shadow Pavilion's power is more complicated than I imagined.

At this moment, another burly man lowered his voice and said, "I also heard that they've been looking for something that seems to be related to some secret in the palace."

"What is it?" the confidant asked hastily.

The burly man shook his head. "I don't know about that. I've only heard it's something very important, and if they find it, it could cause a huge mess."

Hongzhou frowned. It seemed that the Shadow Pavilion's capture of Little Swallow was likely related to this thing they had been searching for.

Just as Hongzhou was about to inquire further, the tavern door was suddenly kicked open, and a group of men in black rushed in. They were armed with sharp blades, their eyes fierce, and it was clear that they had come with ill intentions.

"All of you, behave yourselves!" the leader of the men in black shouted, and the tavern immediately fell silent.

Hongzhou inwardly cried out in alarm. Could it be that they were from the Shadow Pavilion and had discovered his identity?

The men in black searched the tavern, seemingly looking for someone. Hongzhou and his confidants tried to keep a low profile, pretending nothing was amiss.

Suddenly, a man in black pointed at Hong Zhou and shouted, "Boss, look at those guys, they're acting suspiciously. Could they be the people we're looking for?"

The leader of the men in black approached, sizing up Hong Zhou and his group. "Who are you people? What are you doing here?"

Hongzhou calmly replied, "We're just ordinary businessmen passing by, stopping in for a drink."

The man in black sneered, "Businessmen? You don't seem like them. Come with me!"

Hongzhou was furious, but he knew he couldn't act rashly now. He glanced at his trusted confidants, signaling them not to be impulsive.

"What right do you have to arrest us? We haven't broken any laws!" one of Hongzhou's confidants shouted.

The man in black said impatiently, "Enough nonsense! Whether it's illegal or not, we'll know after we investigate. Let's go!"

Just as the men in black were about to forcibly take Hong Zhou and the others away, the tavern owner hurriedly ran over, "Gentlemen, this is all a misunderstanding. They are indeed regular customers, and they are all honest people. Could you please make an exception for them?"

The leader of the men in black glanced at the boss. "Hmph, I'll let them go this time for your sake. You'd better behave yourselves, and don't let me find anything else suspicious!"

After saying this, the man in black left the tavern with his men. Hongzhou and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew that they were just lucky this time, and they might not be so fortunate next time.

After returning to the Prince's residence, Hongzhou immediately organized the news he had heard in the tavern and prepared to go to the palace to report to Hongli.

In the palace, Little Swallow was taking a walk with Little Swallow in the Imperial Garden, trying to help her relax.

"Sister Queen, I'm still a little scared. Will those bad guys come and catch me again?" Little Swallow held Little Swallow's hand tightly, her voice tinged with fear.

Little Swallow comforted her, "Little Swallow, don't be afraid. Your sister is here, and there are so many guards protecting you. They won't dare to come back."

"But I really don't want to see those bad people anymore," Little Swallow said.

Little Swallow crouched down, looked into Little Swallow's eyes, and said earnestly, "Little Swallow, we will definitely catch those bad people and make sure they can never hurt you again. You must believe in Father Emperor and your sister."

"Yes, I believe in Father Emperor and Sister!" Little Swallow nodded vigorously.

Just then, Su Peisheng hurried over, "Your Majesty, Prince He requests an audience."

Little Swallow stood up. "Let him in quickly."

A short while later, Hongzhou entered the Imperial Garden and saw Xiaoyanzi and Xiaoxiaoyanzi. He first bowed and then said, "Sister-in-law, Xiaoxiaoyanzi, I have important news to report to my brother."

Little Swallow's heart skipped a beat. "Fifth Brother, what news? Tell me quickly."

Hongzhou glanced at Little Swallow, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Little Swallow understood what he meant and said to Little Swallow, "Little Swallow, go and play with Liu Qing and Liu Hong for a while. Father Emperor and Uncle Prince He have important matters to discuss."

"Yes, Empress Sister." Little Swallow obediently ran off.

After Little Swallow had gone far away, Hongzhou said, "Sister-in-law, I went to a tavern in the capital today and found out some information about the Shadow Pavilion. They seem to be looking for something related to the secrets of the palace, and their influence is more complex than we imagined. They have people in both the martial arts world and the imperial court."

Little Swallow's expression changed. "Such a thing has happened! It seems the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy is even deeper than we imagined. Fifth Brother, you risked your life to investigate this time; you've worked hard. But you must be careful in the future and not be so reckless again."

Hongzhou smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I know what I'm doing. But time is of the essence, and we must find a solution as soon as possible."

Little Swallow nodded. "You're right. Let's go to the Imperial Study and tell the Emperor this news."

The two went to the imperial study and told Hongli in detail about the information Hongzhou had found out. After listening, Hongli's expression became very solemn.

"I didn't expect the Shadow Pavilion to be so powerful. It seems we need to revise our plans," Hongli said.

Hongzhou said, "Brother, I think we can start with what they are looking for; perhaps we can find a breakthrough."

Little Swallow also said, "Your Majesty, I agree with Fifth Brother's idea. However, how can we find out what this thing is?"

Hongli pondered for a moment, "We can start by investigating inside the palace to see if there are any clues. At the same time, have Fulun and Erkang strengthen patrols in the capital and keep an eye on the Shadow Pavilion's every move."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hongzhou and Xiaoyanzi replied in unison.

However, the Shadow Pavilion will not stand idly by while they act. In the shadows, its leader is plotting a new conspiracy, and an even greater crisis is quietly approaching. Will the people in the palace be able to find the Shadow Pavilion's weakness and thwart their scheme? And what will Little Swallow experience in this turmoil? Everything is shrouded in uncertainty. End of this chapter. Stay tuned for the next chapter.