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

The Empress and Consort Ling returned to the palace. The moonlight, like water, bathed the pavilions and towers, casting a veil of tranquility over the palace. However, their hearts, like the undercurrents beneath this calm surface, were restless.

"Consort Ling, starting tomorrow, we will begin to strengthen the investigation of the inner palace." The Empress frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the courtyard, as if trying to find the hidden danger in the tranquility.

Consort Ling nodded gently, her expression earnest: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my best to assist you. However, with so many people in the harem, it will not be easy to ensure that nothing is overlooked."

"Yes, the people in the harem are complex." The Empress sighed softly and paced slowly. "But no matter what, we must ensure the stability of the Emperor's harem and not give the Shadow Cult any opportunity to take advantage."

The next morning, sunlight shone through the clouds onto the paths of the inner palace. The Empress and Consort Ling began their preparations early. They gathered all the palace maids and eunuchs, who lined up neatly in the courtyard.

The Empress, dressed in magnificent robes, stood solemnly before the assembled crowd, her gaze sweeping over the familiar yet unfamiliar faces: "Recently, some destabilizing factors have emerged in the court. The Shadow Cult is attempting to overthrow the dynasty. I fear they may extend their reach into the inner palace. From this day forward, all personnel and items entering and leaving the inner palace will be subject to strict scrutiny, without exception. If any suspicious individuals are discovered, report them to me immediately."

The palace maids and eunuchs bowed their heads and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."

Consort Ling continued, "Everyone must pay close attention to the people and things around them, and must not be careless. This is not only for the Emperor, but also for ourselves and for the peace and tranquility of the entire harem."

After arranging the inspection, the Empress and Consort Ling began to walk around the inner palace, personally supervising the process. They walked through long corridors, passing through palaces, carefully observing every corner.

In a side hall, the Empress saw several palace maids huddled together whispering. Her face immediately darkened: "What are you talking about? Why are you acting so suspiciously!"

Several palace maids were so frightened that they immediately knelt down. One of the older maids said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. We were just saying that the atmosphere in the palace has been tense lately, and we were a little scared."

The Empress frowned slightly: "Afraid? What is there to be afraid of? As long as you all perform your duties and do nothing wrong, there is nothing to worry about. Get up, all of you, and get back to work."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The palace maids quickly rose and hurried away.

Consort Ling said softly, "Your Majesty, it seems that the hearts of people in the harem are already somewhat unsettled. We must be even more careful."

The Empress nodded: "Yes, it is precisely at times like these that we must keep people's hearts at ease."

The two continued on their way and arrived at the Imperial Garden. The garden was filled with blooming flowers and fragrant aromas, but neither of them had the heart to appreciate it.

Suddenly, a young eunuch carrying a stack of scrolls hurried by and accidentally bumped into Consort Ling. The scrolls scattered all over the ground, and the young eunuch turned pale with fright. He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. This servant deserves to die. This servant was in a hurry and did not notice Your Highness."

Consort Ling frowned slightly, about to speak, but the Empress squatted down and helped pick up the scrolls: "Get up, just be more careful next time. Where are you taking these scrolls?"

The young eunuch quickly took the scrolls and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, these are the books His Majesty wishes to read. This servant is just about to deliver them to the Imperial Study."

The Empress glanced at the young eunuch and, noticing his nervous expression, couldn't help but wonder, "How long have you been working in the palace?"

The young eunuch lowered his head, his voice trembling, and said, "Your Majesty, I have been serving in the palace for three years."

Consort Ling stepped forward, examined the scrolls carefully, and said, "These scrolls appear to be normal. Go on your way, and be careful on your journey."

The young eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed and withdrew.

Watching the young eunuch's departing figure, the Empress whispered to Consort Ling, "That young eunuch seems a bit strange; we should keep an eye on him."

Consort Ling nodded: "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress. There are probably many secrets hidden in this inner palace."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the palace, Fu Ankang was interrogating captured members of the Shadow Cult. The interrogation room was dark and damp, filled with a suffocating atmosphere.

Fu Ankang sat at the table, his gaze cold as he looked at the prisoner before him: "I'll ask you one more time, who exactly is the Shadow Cult's inside agent in the imperial court?"

The prisoner sat in a chair, his hands and feet bound, a hint of disdain on his face: "Hmph, you think you can make me talk? Absolutely not! You won't get anything out of me."

Fu Ankang frowned, stood up, and paced around the interrogation room: "You think we can't find out if you don't talk? I advise you to confess honestly, that way you might get a lighter sentence."

The prisoner, however, kept his lips tightly shut, displaying a stubborn attitude.

Fu Ankang's eyes narrowed, and he walked up to the prisoner, slamming his hand on the table: "Looks like you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! Men, torture him!"

Several guards stepped forward, preparing to torture the prisoner. Just then, the prisoner suddenly spoke up: "Wait! I'll talk... I'll talk, okay?"

Fu Ankang chuckled coldly: "Wouldn't it have been better to do this sooner? Tell me, who is the mole?"

The prisoner hesitated for a moment, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes: "I... I only know that this person holds a high-ranking position and often secretly contacts people from the Shadow Cult. I really don't know who he is. I'm just a lowly henchman, I'm not qualified to know so much."

Fu Ankang frowned: "A high-ranking official? Who is it? If you dare to lie, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

The prisoner quickly replied, "I really don't know! I've only heard that they always communicate very secretly, using special codes and intermediaries."

Fu Ankang pondered for a moment, then thought the prisoner seemed to be telling the truth. He asked again, "So what are your Shadow Cult's next plans?"

The prisoner shook his head: "I really don't know. I was only in charge of some simple tasks, and I know nothing else."

Looking at the prisoner's expression, Fu Ankang judged that he was probably not lying. He sat back down in his chair, pondering his next move.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, Fuheng, together with the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, and other departments, began a thorough investigation into the accounts and promotions of officials. In a spacious room piled high with various ledgers and documents, officials busily perused them, attempting to find any clues related to the Shadow Cult.

Fu Heng stood in the center of the room, watching the busy crowd, and thought to himself, "The Shadow Cult is so cunning, their inside man must be very well hidden. We must investigate carefully and not overlook any suspicious points."

Time slipped away amidst the tense investigation. The examination of the inner palace continued, and the court's purge proceeded methodically. Who exactly was the Shadow Cult's inside man? How would this crisis be resolved? The entire palace and court were shrouded in an unknown fog, awaiting the revelation of the truth.

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