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

After receiving their orders, Xiao Yanzi and Liu Hong quickly arranged for people to conduct an investigation based on the information on the roster. However, things did not go as smoothly as they had imagined.

Many of the contact locations on the list were abandoned houses or remote corners. When investigators arrived, most of them were already deserted, leaving only some worthless clues.

"Princess, the information on this roster seems to have been tampered with; we can't find anything useful in many places," the general in charge of the investigation reported to Xiao Yanzi.

"Damn it! It seems the Shadow Pavilion already knew we had discovered this roster and made preparations in advance," Little Swallow said angrily.

"Then what should we do, Princess?" the general asked.

Little Swallow pondered for a moment: "Keep investigating! We can't let go of even the slightest clue."

Just when the investigation reached a stalemate, the people who went to investigate the border tribes sent back important news.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, we have discovered a crucial clue in the border tribes. It turns out that the Shadow Pavilion is colluding with the Sirius tribe in the north. They promised the Sirius tribe a large amount of gold, silver, and weapons, instructing them to launch a feigned attack on the border on the day of the palace banquet, creating chaos and diverting the court's attention," the investigating soldier reported.

"As expected, it's related to the border tribes. Did they mention the mastermind behind the Shadow Pavilion?" Hongli asked.

"Your Majesty," the soldier reported, "we learned from a captured soldier of the Sirius tribe that the mastermind behind the Shadow Pavilion is a mysterious figure who calls himself the 'Night Messenger.' This person rarely shows himself, and few members of the Sirius tribe have ever seen his true face. However, they always use a special token to transmit messages."

"A special token? Is it similar to the one the mysterious person gave us before?" Little Swallow asked.

“It’s different. This token has a black bat engraved on it, while the one we saw before was the Shadow Pavilion’s symbol,” the soldier said.

“It seems that this ‘Messenger of the Night’ is the real key figure. We must find a way to locate him,” Hongli said.

Just then, Liu Hong rushed into the Hall of Mental Cultivation: "Your Majesty, Princess, we have made a new discovery!"

"Tell me quickly, what did you find?" Little Swallow asked eagerly.

“While investigating a contact point on the roster, we discovered a coded message. After deciphering it, we learned that the Shadow Pavilion will be holding an important meeting late tomorrow night in a dilapidated temple in the east of the city, and it’s very likely that the ‘Night Messenger’ will also be in attendance,” Liu Hong said.

"Great! This is a fantastic opportunity!" Little Swallow exclaimed excitedly.

"Your Majesty, should we immediately send men to surround the dilapidated temple and wipe them out in one fell swoop?" Liu Hong asked.

Hongli frowned slightly and pondered for a moment: "We must not act rashly. Since it is an important meeting, they will definitely be on high alert. We can send someone infiltrate secretly to find out the situation before making any plans."

"Your Majesty is wise," Xiao Yanzi and Liu Hong said in unison.

Therefore, Hongli selected a team of agile imperial guards, led by Liu Hong, and they secretly sneaked into the dilapidated temple in the east of the city under the cover of night.

The dilapidated temple was silent, save for a few candles flickering in the wind. The Imperial Guards approached cautiously, observing from a distance.

A short while later, a group of men dressed in black entered the dilapidated temple. They all had serious expressions and were talking in hushed tones.

"It looks like they're about to start," Liu Hong said in a low voice.

Just then, a person dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask slowly walked into the dilapidated temple. This person exuded a mysterious aura, and the people in black all knelt down to pay their respects when they saw him.

"Greetings, Messenger of the Night!" the men in black said in unison.

“It seems this person is the ‘Messenger of the Night’,” Liu Hong said.

"Everyone, please rise. How is the plan going?" the Dark Knight asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the envoy, everything is proceeding according to plan. The Sirius tribe is ready and awaiting the day of the palace banquet to make their move," said a man in black.

“Very good. This time we must succeed, overthrow the court, and take control of the world,” said the Dark Messenger.

“But, envoy, we’ve discovered that the court has become aware of us and is investigating us everywhere,” another man in black said worriedly.

"Hmph, no need to be afraid. Even if they sense something, it will be too late. Our plan is flawless; they simply cannot stop it," the Night Messenger said confidently.

"So what should we do next?" the man in black asked.

"Continue with the plan. Strengthen defenses and don't let the court discover our weaknesses," the Night Messenger said.

Just then, Liu Hong felt the time was right and led the Imperial Guards out: "You traitors, we've finally caught you!"

Seeing this, the men in black drew their weapons and engaged in fierce combat with the Imperial Guards. The Dark Knight, however, remained calm and watched from the sidelines.

"You think you can catch me like this? How naive!" The Night Messenger sneered.

With that, he pulled a smoke bomb from his pocket and threw it on the ground. Instantly, the dilapidated temple was filled with smoke, obstructing everyone's vision.

"Oh no, he's trying to escape!" Liu Hong shouted.

The Imperial Guards searched everywhere, but the Nightbringer had vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, he got away again!" Liu Hong said angrily.

"It's alright, we already know their plan, so we've gained something," Xiao Yanzi said.

Upon returning to the palace, Hongli and Xiaoyanzi immediately summoned their ministers to discuss countermeasures.

"Now that we know about the Shadow Pavilion and the Sirius Tribe's conspiracy, let's play along. We'll deploy heavy troops on the border and give the Sirius Tribe a crushing defeat when they attack. At the same time, we'll strengthen security for the palace banquets to completely thwart the Shadow Pavilion's plan," Hongli said.

"Your Majesty is wise!" the ministers exclaimed in unison.

Under Hongli's meticulous arrangements, everything was ready. On the day of the palace banquet, the palace was heavily guarded, and the Imperial Guards were all in high spirits and ready for battle.

The Sirius tribe launched their attack as planned, but were met with a fierce counterattack from the imperial army. The Sirius tribe suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat.

Inside the palace, members of the Shadow Pavilion attempted to infiltrate the banquet, but were all apprehended by the Imperial Guards.

Thus, the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy was completely thwarted, and the imperial court returned to peace.

"The truth has finally come out," Little Swallow said with emotion.

"Yes, this is all thanks to everyone's hard work," Hongli said with a smile.

However, after this ordeal, Hongli and Xiaoyanzi realized that the peace and tranquility of the palace was hard-won and needed to be protected even more carefully in the future...

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