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

Days passed in the midst of the intense investigation. The checks on the inner palace and the investigations by the court continued, but there was still no substantial breakthrough.

One afternoon, the warm sunlight streamed into the courtyard of the inner palace. The Empress and Consort Ling were still patrolling the palace. Passing a palace maid's quarters, they heard faint sobs coming from inside.

The Empress frowned slightly, exchanged a glance with Consort Ling, and then gently pushed open the door. Inside, a young palace maid was sitting by the bed, wiping away tears with a handkerchief. Upon seeing the Empress and Consort Ling enter, she was so frightened that she immediately knelt down, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"Why are you crying?" the Empress asked gently, her eyes filled with concern.

The palace maid lowered her head, her voice trembling with tears: "Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness Consort Ling, my family member is ill. I wish to go home to visit him, but I'm afraid it will interfere with my duties in the palace..."

Consort Ling stepped forward and gently comforted her, "So that's how it is. Don't be too anxious. Tell us about your family situation in detail, and the Empress and I will see if we can make an exception."

The palace maid glanced gratefully at Consort Ling, then sobbed, "My father has suddenly fallen seriously ill, and my mother is overwhelmed with work at home alone. I'm so worried about her..."

After a moment's thought, the Empress said, "Alright, I'll grant you three days' leave. Go back and take good care of your family. But remember, return on time and don't neglect matters in the palace."

The palace maid quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress! Thank you, Consort Ling! This servant will definitely return on time."

After the Empress and Consort Ling left, Consort Ling frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, although we haven't found any major problems during the investigation these past few days, I feel that something is not quite right, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

The Empress nodded: "I feel the same way. The inner palace may seem peaceful, but there are undercurrents. We cannot afford to be complacent in the slightest."

Meanwhile, in the room where the imperial court was auditing the accounts, the atmosphere was extremely tense. Officials spent day and night poring over the ledgers, their eyes bloodshot, yet they still hadn't found a crucial clue.

Fu Heng looked at the mountain of account books, feeling somewhat annoyed. He picked up one at random and began to carefully flip through it. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a particular account, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The account records showed the promotion expenses of a Vice Minister of Rites, a huge sum with unclear purpose. Fuheng found it highly suspicious and immediately summoned the official in charge of the investigation.

"Why is the promotion fee for this Vice Minister of Rites so high? There is no detailed explanation of its purpose. Have you checked this before?" Fu Heng asked seriously, pointing to the records in the account book.

The official quickly bowed and replied, "Your Excellency, we also felt that this account was a bit strange before, but after a preliminary investigation, we found nothing unusual. However, we will investigate further."

Fu Heng nodded slightly: "Be sure to investigate carefully. What is the name of this Vice Minister of Rites?"

"Your Excellency, his name is Chen Qiming," the official replied.

“Chen Qiming…” Fu Heng murmured the name, pondering to himself, “This man holds a fairly high official position. Could he be the inside man?”

Fu Heng decided to visit Chen Qiming in person to sound him out.

As evening fell, Fu Heng arrived at Chen Qiming's residence. The residence did not appear luxurious, but it was very tidy. After the butler welcomed Fu Heng into the living room, he went to inform Chen Qiming.

Before long, Chen Qiming rushed over. Upon seeing Fu Heng, his face immediately lit up with a smile: "Lord Fu Heng, may I ask what brings you here today?"

Fu Heng stood up and bowed slightly: "Lord Chen, the court has been auditing the accounts recently, and I have found some questions about your promotion expenses. I have come to discuss this with you."

Chen Qiming's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Oh? Does Lord Fu have any questions? The promotion fees are all handled according to the rules, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Looking into Chen Qiming's eyes, Fu Heng said calmly, "Lord Chen, this expense is enormous and its purpose is unclear. Could you please explain it in detail?"

Chen Qiming's forehead was slightly sweaty, and he forced a smile: "Lord Fu, this... there are some complicated reasons behind this. At that time, in order to better serve the court, I spent a lot of money to smooth things over, so the amount was quite large. As for the purpose, it has been a long time, and I can't quite remember it."

Fu Heng sneered inwardly. He knew Chen Qiming was being evasive, but he didn't expose him on the spot: "Lord Chen, these accounts are of great importance. I hope you will think carefully and give the court a reasonable explanation."

Chen Qiming nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, Lord Fu. I will think about it carefully when I get back and give you an answer as soon as possible."

Seeing that he could not get any information, Fu Heng got up to take his leave: "Then I will trouble you further, Lord Chen. We await your reply."

After leaving Chen Qiming's residence, Fu Heng became even more certain that Chen Qiming was suspicious. He decided to send someone to secretly monitor Chen Qiming's every move.

Meanwhile, in the inner palace, the Empress and Consort Ling continued to worry about the stability of the harem. At night, with the bright moon high in the sky, the Empress stood by the palace window, gazing at the pure moonlight, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Consort Ling entered the room and said softly, "Your Majesty the Empress, it's late, are you still not resting?"

The Empress sighed softly, "How can I sleep peacefully until the matter of the Shadow Cult is resolved? I wonder if there has been any progress on Lord Fu Heng's end."

Consort Ling comforted her, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Lord Fuheng is resourceful and will surely find out the truth. We just need to guard the inner palace and not give the Shadow Cult any opportunity."

The Empress nodded: "Yes, you are right. There are still many things in the palace that need our attention. I hope we can find the Shadow Cult's mole as soon as possible and restore peace to the palace and the court."

As the two were talking, a palace maid came in, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness Consort Ling, a young eunuch just delivered a letter, saying it's for Your Majesty the Empress."

The Empress took the letter, opened it, and her expression immediately became very serious: "Consort Ling, this letter says that suspicious people have been appearing near the palace recently, seemingly gathering information. It seems that the Shadow Cult has already begun to make its move."

A hint of worry flashed in Consort Ling's eyes: "Your Majesty, what should we do?"

The Empress's expression was resolute: "Strengthen the defenses of the inner palace and increase patrols. We must not allow the Shadow Cult's plot to succeed!"

The situation in the harem and the court is becoming increasingly tense. Will Fu Heng be able to expose Chen Qiming's true colors? How will the Empress deal with the Shadow Cult's actions among the concubines? This battle between good and evil is developing towards a crucial juncture, and everyone is waiting for the final revelation of the truth.

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