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

A short while later, Xiao Dengzi led a mysterious man dressed in a gray robe and wearing a bamboo hat into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This man was of medium height and wore a black mask, revealing only a pair of deep-set eyes, making it impossible to see his face.

As soon as the mysterious man entered the hall, he knelt down respectfully and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor and Your Majesty the Empress."

Hongli frowned slightly, scrutinizing the mysterious man before him: "You say you have important clues about the Shadow Pavilion, is that true or false?"

The mysterious man raised his head, his gaze resolute: "Your Majesty, it is absolutely true. I am well aware that the Shadow Pavilion has been a threat to the court for a long time, and I have come to provide clues to lend Your Majesty a helping hand."

"Then tell me, what clues do you have?" Little Swallow asked impatiently.

The mysterious man pulled a black token from his pocket. Engraved on the token was a strange pattern—the very symbol of the Shadow Pavilion. Upon seeing the token, everyone's expression changed.

“I obtained this token by chance. As far as I know, the person who holds this token holds a very high position in the Shadow Pavilion. I have been following this person for many days and discovered that he often appears in an abandoned mansion in the west of the city,” the mysterious man said.

"An abandoned house in the west of the city?" Hongli seemed to be thinking.

"Why are you helping us? And why are you only coming now?" Liu Hong asked warily from the side.

The mysterious man sighed slightly: "To be honest, my family was once brutally murdered by the Shadow Pavilion, and I have always wanted to find an opportunity to take revenge. Recently, I heard that the Emperor has offered a reward for clues about the Shadow Pavilion, and I felt that the time was right."

Little Swallow glanced at Hongli, and seeing him nod slightly, she said, "I'll trust you this once. Do you know what's in that mansion?"

“I don’t know the specifics. Every time that person goes in, there are people guarding the area closely, and I can’t get close. But I suspect that it’s very likely an important stronghold of the Shadow Pavilion,” the mysterious man said.

"Your Majesty, why don't we send someone to investigate?" Xiao Yanzi suggested.

"We must not act rashly. Since this is an important stronghold of the Shadow Pavilion, it must be heavily guarded. If we act rashly and alert them, it could ruin everything," Hongli said.

"What does the Emperor mean?" Little Swallow asked.

Hongli pondered for a moment: "First, send someone to secretly monitor the situation and find out what's going on inside before making any plans."

"Your Majesty is wise," the ministers said in unison.

Therefore, Hongli immediately dispatched a team of elite imperial guards to monitor the area near the abandoned mansion in the west of the city, guided by the mysterious person.

A few days later, the general in charge of surveillance returned and reported: "Your Majesty, after several days of observation, men in black are frequently seen entering and leaving the mansion, and the defenses are very tight, with shifts changing every hour."

"Have you noticed anything suspicious?" Hongli asked.

"Not yet, they are acting very cautiously. However, we have noticed a man in black who seems to be of high status, always accompanied by a large number of subordinates whenever he goes in and out," the general said.

"It seems that this man in black is likely a key figure," Xiao Yanzi said.

"Continue to monitor, and report back immediately if there is any movement," Hongli said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The general accepted the order and left.

A few days later, the mysterious man requested to see Hongli and Xiaoyanzi again.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I have discovered another important clue," the mysterious man said.

"Speak quickly!" Little Swallow said eagerly.

"I overheard people talking in that mansion, mentioning that the Shadow Pavilion had another conspiracy besides poisoning at the palace banquet. It seems they were working with a force outside the palace, and they would launch an attack once the time was right," the mysterious man said.

"What! There's another conspiracy!" Little Swallow exclaimed in surprise.

"Do you know who the forces outside the palace are?" Hongli asked with a solemn expression.

"This... I haven't found out yet. But I will continue to try to find out the truth," the mysterious man said.

“Very well, if you can provide any more useful clues, I will reward you handsomely,” Hongli said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my utmost," the mysterious man said.

After seeing the mysterious man off, Hongli and Xiaoyanzi fell into deep thought.

"Your Majesty, the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy is becoming increasingly complex, with each link connected to the next," said Xiao Yanzi.

“Yes, we must be careful. It seems that simply strengthening the inspection of food and drink and the palace guards is not enough. We need to find out the forces outside the palace and resolve the crisis in advance,” Hongli said.

"But how easy is it to find this force in this vast sea of ​​people?" Little Swallow said with some worry.

“There will always be a way. My dear consort, let’s think about it carefully again. The Shadow Pavilion has gone to such great lengths, so the forces outside the palace must not be ordinary bandits. They may even be connected to certain people in the court,” Hongli said.

"Does His Majesty mean we should start the investigation from within the court?" Xiao Yanzi asked.

“Good. Give the order to have the ministers secretly keep an eye on the actions of the court officials and see if there is anything unusual,” Hongli said.

However, just as they were conducting their investigation, the Shadow Pavilion seemed to have sensed the danger, and an even more thrilling contest was about to unfold...

This chapter concludes here. Stay tuned for the next chapter.