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

Fu Heng hurriedly returned to his residence from the Imperial Garden in the inner palace. He went straight into his study, his expression solemn and his brows furrowed. He tossed his robes and sat down in the chair behind the desk, slamming the paper with strange symbols on it onto the table. He stared intently at the paper, as if trying to see through the symbols.

Just then, the subordinate knocked lightly on the door, then came in and cautiously asked, "Sir, you're back. Is there any progress on that symbol?"

Fu Heng waved his hand irritably and raised his voice, saying, "What leads? The Shadow Cult is too cunning. These symbols are so strange! I've gone through all the secret symbols I know, but they just don't match!" With that, he slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Hmph, but no matter what, I absolutely cannot let them succeed!"

His subordinates quickly stepped forward and gently comforted him, "Sir, please calm down. Don't be anxious. Maybe if you calm down and think about it carefully, you'll discover something."

Fu Heng took a deep breath, tried to sit up straight, and ordered firmly, "Go, bring me all the case files related to the Shadow Cult that we investigated before. I refuse to believe that we can't find a single clue!"

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate quickly accepted the order, turned around and hurried out the door. A moment later, he came back in carrying a stack of files and respectfully placed them on the table.

Fu Heng immediately buried himself in the book and began flipping through it, muttering to himself as he read, "What message is the Shadow Cult trying to send? What kind of trick are they planning to pull next..."

Meanwhile, in the inner palace, Zhen Huan sat in her residence, gently twirling her prayer beads, her eyes deep and filled with worry. Beside her, a palace maid was whispering about the discovery of Shadow Cult symbols in the Imperial Garden.

The palace maid said with a worried expression, "Your Majesty, the Shadow Cult is so arrogant these days, daring to act like this in the inner palace. What should we do?"

Zhen Huan frowned slightly, stopped fiddling with her prayer beads, and slowly said, "Hmph, they're deliberately trying to disrupt the peace of the harem. However, with Fu Heng investigating there, he'll surely find something out. Go and tell the Imperial Household Department to send more people to strengthen the guards throughout the harem, especially the residences of the concubines. We absolutely cannot allow any mishaps."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and do it right away." The palace maid hurriedly curtsied and quickly retreated.

Not long after, Consort Ling entered, first bowing respectfully, and then said, "Your Majesty, the palace maid in the Imperial Garden still hasn't woken up. The imperial physician also said that the poison is very strange and can't be cured in a short time. It's so worrying."

Zhen Huan sighed softly and said, "Alas, the methods of the Shadow Cult are always very insidious. It seems that this matter will not be so easy to resolve. You must keep a close eye on that palace maid's situation. If there are any changes, inform me immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have remembered." Consort Ling hurriedly replied.

At the Prime Minister's residence, Prime Minister Lin sat on a stone bench in the garden, gazing at the flowers in full bloom, but he also seemed preoccupied. At this moment, Xiao Yanzi returned to the residence. Dressed in an elegant outfit, exuding the grace and nobility of an empress, she walked slowly over.

When Lord Lin saw Xiao Yanzi, he quickly stood up, his face full of respectful and affectionate smiles. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, you've returned to your residence. How have you been today?"

Little Swallow quickly stepped forward to help Lord Lin up, and said with a smile, "Father, please don't be so polite. There's no need for so much formality at home. I'm fine, it's just that the Shadow Cult thing outside is making me a little uneasy."

Lord Lin straightened up, nodded, and said with concern, "Oh dear, Your Majesty, the Shadow Cult is indeed despicable, causing unrest throughout the capital. You are of such high status now, you must be very careful. When you are out and about, make sure to have the guards protect you."

Little Swallow gently patted Lord Lin's hand and said, "Father, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's just that the Shadow Cult is so elusive, and I don't know what they're plotting. It's really worrying."

"Yes, Your Majesty, but the court has capable officials like Lord Fuheng investigating. They should be dealt with soon, and then the capital will be at peace again," Lord Lin quickly reassured her.

Inside the Prince Hongzhou's residence, Hongzhou sat in his study, fiddling with a jade pendant in his hand, his gaze somewhat vacant, clearly lost in thought. At that moment, Dili Leyao entered lightly, carrying a bowl of tea. Seeing Hongzhou's expression, she gently approached him, placed the tea on the table, and softly asked, "Your Highness, what are you thinking about? Is something troubling you?"

Hong Zhou then came to his senses, looked at Dili Leyao, forced a smile, and said, "No, it's nothing serious. I just heard about the Shadow Cult and felt a bit emotional."

Dili Leyao sat down beside him, gently took his hand, and said softly, "Your Highness, the Shadow Cult has committed many evils. The court will definitely find a way to wipe them out. Don't worry too much, lest you harm your health."

Hongzhou grasped her hand in return, nodded, and replied, "Yes, you're right. But the situation in the capital, I'm afraid, won't be stable anytime soon."

"No matter what, as long as our family is safe and sound, that's all that matters," Dilire Yao said softly, leaning on Hong Zhou's shoulder.

Hongzhou gently embraced her, but a complex look flashed in his eyes, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Fu Heng had been studying the files in his study for a long time, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. Suddenly, as if he had discovered some important clue, he stood up abruptly and shouted, "Someone come here!"

Hearing the shouts, his subordinate rushed in and asked anxiously, "Sir, what's wrong?"

Fu Heng excitedly pointed to a record in the dossier, his voice trembling slightly: "Look, look! The pattern mentioned here is extremely similar in shape to part of the symbol in the Imperial Garden. This might be the breakthrough we've been searching for!"

The subordinate hurried forward to take a look, and after seeing it, his face lit up with surprise and delight. He excitedly said, "Sir, your discovery is extremely important! So, what should we do next?"

Fu Heng paced back and forth, pondered for a moment, and then decisively said, "Go, quickly find a few old hands who know about this. I want to ask them in person to see if they can determine the exact meaning of this symbol."

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate accepted the order and rushed out. Fu Heng sat back down in his chair, his eyes filled with anticipation and determination, as if he could already see the dawn of uncovering the Shadow Cult's conspiracy and was just waiting for the follow-up to confirm it step by step.

The battle between good and evil continues fiercely in the shadows, drawing in characters from all sides, some filled with worry, others with anticipation. What kind of conspiracy is the Shadow Cult hiding? And can Fu Heng unravel the mystery with this clue? Everything remains uncertain, and we can only wait for the story to unfold.

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