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

Little Swallow looked at Little Swallow, still shaken. If Liu Hong hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She knew that the Shadow Cult's actions meant they had extended their reach to important figures in the palace, and the situation was becoming increasingly perilous.

"No, we must tell Father Emperor about this immediately." Little Swallow's expression was solemn as she turned to walk towards the Imperial Study.

"Empress, I want to go too. I want to apologize to Father Emperor in person." Little Swallow held Little Swallow's hand tightly, her eyes full of determination.

Little Swallow looked at Little Swallow and nodded gently: "Okay, let's go together."

The two women arrived at the imperial study. After a eunuch went in to announce their arrival, they went inside. Hongli was reviewing memorials when he saw them enter. He put down his pen and asked, "Empress, Little Swallow, what brings you here?"

Little Swallow hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down with a thud, and said with her head bowed, "Father, I was wrong. I shouldn't have left Shufangzhai without permission, which almost caused a disaster."

Hongli looked at Xiao Yanzi, frowned slightly, and said in a tone that was both reproachful and caring: "You child, it is good that you have the heart to share the Empress's worries, but you are too reckless. The palace may seem peaceful now, but it is actually full of dangers. You must protect yourself first. This is the greatest help you can give to me and the Empress."

"Yes, Father Emperor, I will definitely be obedient from now on and will never be willful again," Little Swallow replied obediently.

Little Swallow then recounted in detail how Little Swallow had encountered the Shadow Cult maids in the Imperial Garden. Upon hearing this, Hongli was furious and slammed his fist on the table: "These traitors! How dare they be so insolent in my palace!"

"Father, the Shadow Cult has already begun its operations, and we must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible," Little Swallow said with a worried expression.

Hongli looked at Xiaoyanzi, his expression regaining some calm: "Empress, what are your thoughts?"

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yanzi said, "Father, the fact that the Shadow Cult members were able to infiltrate the palace indicates that there are loopholes in our palace defenses. The most urgent task is to strengthen the guards at the palace gates and strictly check everyone entering and leaving the palace. We must not let any suspicious person go unchecked."

Hongli nodded slightly: "Yes, that is indeed the most important thing. In addition, we must also conduct a secret investigation in the palace to find out all the hidden remnants of the Shadow Cult and leave none alive."

"Father, I think we can let Fu Lun and Er Kang be in charge of strengthening the palace's defenses. Fu Lun is experienced, and Er Kang is young, promising, and meticulous. They are reliable and trustworthy," Xiao Yanzi suggested.

"Alright, let's do it that way. Issue my decree, summoning Fu Lun and Er Kang to the palace immediately to discuss this matter," Hongli said to the eunuch beside him.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The eunuch accepted the order and hurriedly left.

“Father, the Shadow Cult is so cunning. We can’t always be on the defensive; we have to take the initiative.” Little Swallow said with a determined look in her eyes.

"Take the initiative? What brilliant idea does the Empress have?" Hongli looked at Xiaoyanzi with great interest.

“We can use this assassination attempt by the Shadow Cult maids to deliberately spread the news that Little Swallow is seriously injured and on the verge of death. We can lure the Shadow Cult members into a trap, then set up a meticulous ambush to annihilate them in one fell swoop.” A resolute glint flashed in Little Swallow’s eyes.

Hongli pondered for a moment: "This plan is risky, but it is worth a try. However, we must ensure the safety of Little Swallow and never let her be in any real danger. If anything happens to this child, neither the Empress nor I can accept it."

"Father, rest assured, I will arrange everything. Liu Qing and Liu Hong will stay by Little Swallow's side at all times, pretending to be seriously injured to mislead the enemy. Moreover, we will carefully consider the entire plan to ensure that it will be foolproof," Little Swallow said.

“Alright, do as the Empress says. But we must be extremely careful and cautious in our actions, and we cannot afford to make the slightest mistake. The Shadow Cult is no ordinary enemy; they are cunning and treacherous, so we must proceed with extreme caution,” Hongli instructed.

At this moment, Fu Lun and Er Kang rushed over. The two knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress."

Hongli recounted the entire story to them in detail, then solemnly said, "Fulun, Erkang, I now entrust the palace defenses to the two of you. You must strengthen vigilance and not allow the Shadow Cult any further opportunity. The safety of the palace is now in your hands."

Fu Lun clasped his hands in a fist and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister will do his utmost, even at the cost of his old life, to ensure the safety of the palace."

Erkang also firmly said, "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to assist Lord Fulun in the defense of the palace and live up to Your Majesty's trust."

"Furthermore, the Empress has devised a plan to lure the Shadow Cult members into a trap. The two of you will also participate in this, working with the Empress to develop a detailed plan to ensure that every step is foolproof," Hongli added.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Fu Lun and Er Kang replied in unison.

"Alright, you may go and make preparations. Remember, this operation is of great importance, concerning the safety of the palace and the peaceful lives of countless people. We must not take it lightly," Hongli said solemnly.

"We take our leave." Fu Lun and Er Kang bowed and withdrew.

Watching them leave, Xiao Yanzi turned to Hongli and said, "Father, I hope this time we can completely eradicate the remnants of the Shadow Cult, restore peace to the palace, and allow everyone to live in peace."

Hongli held Xiaoyanzi's hand, his gaze firm: "Your Majesty, rest assured, with the unity of us, the emperor and his ministers, and the combined efforts of husband and wife, we will surely ensure that the Shadow Sect never returns and restore peace to the palace."

However, the Shadow Cult has lurked in the shadows for years, its influence deeply entrenched. Will this meticulously planned trap succeed? What insidious methods will the Shadow Cult employ in secret to counter this? Within the palace, a thrilling battle between good and evil has quietly begun…

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