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

While the ministers were secretly investigating court officials, the Imperial Guards, responsible for monitoring abandoned residences in the west of the city, made a new discovery.

A soldier from the Imperial Guard rushed back to the palace and reported to Emperor Hongli: "Your Majesty, a man dressed in black walked out of that house today. He was thin and acted suspiciously. He evaded our surveillance and headed alone towards the north of the city. We followed him and found that he entered a silk shop."

"A silk shop?" Hongli and Xiaoyanzi exchanged a glance, both puzzled.

"Your Majesty, could there be something fishy going on with this silk shop?" Little Swallow asked.

“Very likely.” Hongli turned to the soldiers and said, “Keep a close eye on that silk shop, pay attention to everyone who comes in and out, and report any developments immediately.”

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The soldier acknowledged the order and left.

A few days later, the soldiers on surveillance reported again: "Your Majesty, we have discovered that although the silk shop appears to be operating normally, there are actually many men in black frequently going in and out of the back door. Moreover, we also saw that the man in black who previously held a high position in the mansion and had many followers also go there."

"It seems this silk shop is a contact point for the Shadow Pavilion," Little Swallow said.

"What my beloved consort says is absolutely right." Hongli nodded slightly. "Issue my decree to send people disguised as ordinary citizens to secretly observe the area near the silk shop and see if they can find any clues about collusion with forces outside the palace."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Soon, news came from the Imperial Guards disguised as commoners that they had discovered a middle-aged man who claimed to be a regular customer of the silk shop. He would come every few days, and each time he would have a long private conversation with the shop owner in the back room. This man was dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor, unlike an ordinary merchant.

Upon learning of this, Hongli immediately ordered: "Bring this middle-aged man back to me. I want to interrogate him personally."

Soon after, the middle-aged man was brought to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He remained calm and fearless, and did not bow to Hongli and Xiaoyanzi.

"Who are you? Why are you frequently having secret talks with the silk shop owner?" Hongli asked authoritatively.

The middle-aged man sneered: "Hmph, I'm just a merchant. What's wrong with me doing business with a silk shop owner?"

Little Swallow stepped forward and said sternly, "Talking business? Then why do you have to talk in the inner room? Besides, that silk shop is a contact point for the Shadow Pavilion. Don't you know that?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, but he still tried to remain calm: "I don't know what you're talking about. What Shadow Pavilion? I've never heard of it."

Hongli slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Even now, you still dare to argue! Guards, bring on the severe torture!"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man finally showed fear on his face: "Your Majesty, spare my life! I'll talk, I'll talk! I am the distant cousin of the Minister of Rites, and I was instructed by him to contact the Shadow Pavilion."

"The Minister of Rites?" Hongli and Xiaoyanzi were both taken aback.

"Why would he collude with the Shadow Pavilion?" Little Swallow pressed.

“I don’t know the specific reason, I only know that he gave me a lot of money to help him pass on messages. Every time I went to the silk shop, I would get the Shadow Pavilion’s instructions and then hand them over to him,” the middle-aged man said.

"Do you know about the Shadow Pavilion's collusion with forces outside the palace?" Hongli asked.

"Well... I did hear them mention it briefly, it seems to be related to a tribe on the frontier, but I really don't know the specifics," the middle-aged man quickly said.

Hongli and Xiaoyanzi exchanged a glance. Frontier tribes? The relationship behind this seems even more complicated.

"Bring the Minister of Rites here to me!" Hongli ordered.

Soon, the Minister of Rites was brought to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Upon seeing the middle-aged man, his face turned deathly pale.

"Minister of Rites, do you know your crime?" Hongli glared at him.

The Minister of Rites knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, spare my life! I was confused for a moment and was misled by the Shadow Pavilion, which led me to commit such a treasonous act."

"Speak! What conspiracy do you have with the Shadow Pavilion? What are the Shadow Pavilion's dealings with the border tribes?" Hongli demanded sternly.

The Minister of Rites trembled all over: "Your Majesty, I was really just following the orders of the Shadow Pavilion. They asked me to pass on messages for them in the court and create chaos. As for the collusion between the Shadow Pavilion and the border tribes, I only know that they wanted to use the power of the tribes to create even greater chaos at the court banquet so that they could take the opportunity to control the situation."

"Hmph, such wolfish ambitions!" Little Swallow gritted her teeth in anger.

"Then do you know who the mastermind behind the Shadow Pavilion is?" Hongli asked.

The Minister of Rites lowered his head: "Your Majesty, I really don't know. The Shadow Pavilion operates with extreme secrecy. I have never met their leader. Messages are always relayed through intermediaries."

After interrogating the Minister of Rites, Hongli fell into deep thought. It seemed that the Shadow Pavilion's influence had infiltrated the upper echelons of the court and was colluding with border tribes, making the situation far more complex than he had imagined.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Little Swallow asked.

A resolute glint flashed in Hongli's eyes: "Now that we have some clues, let's play along. On the one hand, continue to closely monitor the Shadow Pavilion's movements; on the other hand, send people to the border tribes to investigate and see what their plans are."

However, what countermeasures will the Shadow Pavilion take after sensing the court's actions? In this contest between the palace and the Shadow Pavilion, who will ultimately emerge victorious? Everything is fraught with uncertainty…

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