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

As dawn broke, birds chirped merrily outside the Shufangzhai, their clear calls weaving a natural melody in the air. But the atmosphere inside the secret chamber was utterly at odds with this beautiful morning; it was as tense as a bowstring about to snap. Xiao Yanzi gripped the account book tightly, her knuckles white. She exchanged a quick glance with the kneeling chief eunuch; their eyes were filled with fear and wariness, like birds startled by a mere twang of a bow. Outside the secret chamber, the footsteps of a man in black approached, each step heavy with fear, chilling them to the bone.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?" The chief eunuch's voice trembled, almost crying, and his body shivered uncontrollably, like a fallen leaf drifting in the cold wind.

Little Swallow's eyebrows furrowed, a resolute glint flashing in her eyes. She shouted sharply, "What's the panic! Things have come to this, we absolutely cannot let these villains succeed!" With that, she quickly scanned her surroundings, her eyes urgently searching for other exits, her gaze revealing a do-or-die determination.

Just as the men in black were about to break down the door, Xiao Yanzi, with her sharp eyes, spotted a hidden compartment in the corner of the secret room. Without thinking, she grabbed the head eunuch and whispered urgently, "Quick, hide inside!" The two had barely hidden when the door to the secret room was violently flung open by the men in black, the loud bang echoing in the cramped space.

"Where is he? I clearly saw someone come in just now!" The leader of the men in black glared angrily, his eyes seemingly spitting fire. He brandished his long knife as he searched the secret room, as if he wanted to turn it upside down.

Dust filled the secret room instantly, and clutter was scattered all over the floor. The man in black ransacked the room, making a clattering sound, and various items were carelessly thrown all over the floor. Xiao Yanzi and the chief eunuch hid in a hidden compartment, not daring to breathe. Xiao Yanzi could even hear her own heart pounding violently, as if the sound was about to burst out of her chest.

"Strange, can it just disappear into thin air?" The man in black was full of doubt, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. He circled the secret room a few more times, but ultimately found nothing. He could only leave cursing, and his curses gradually faded away outside the silent secret room.

Once the man in black had gone far away, Xiao Yanzi and the head eunuch cautiously emerged from the hidden compartment. Xiao Yanzi breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression remained grave. She said in a deep voice, "You must keep quiet about what happened today. After returning to the Imperial Study, pretend that nothing happened. I will present this account book to the Emperor myself."

The chief eunuch nodded hastily, his head bobbing like a pestle pounding garlic: "Yes, Your Majesty, this servant understands." After saying that, he hurriedly left Shufangzhai, his steps frantic, as if a flood or ferocious beast was chasing him.

Xiao Yanzi straightened her clothes, hid the account book in her sleeve, and left Shufangzhai. All the way, she was filled with worry, the shocking names in the account book constantly flashing through her mind. She knew that once the account book was made public, it would surely cause a huge uproar in the palace.

Back in the Empress's palace, Xiao Yanzi had just sat down when a palace maid came to announce, "Your Majesty, Princess Xiao Yanzi requests an audience."

Little Swallow paused for a moment, then said, "Quickly, invite her in."

A moment later, Little Swallow skipped in, followed by Liu Hong. Little Swallow's eyes lit up when she saw Little Swallow, and she cheerfully exclaimed, "Your Majesty, I've come to play with you!"

Little Swallow looked at Little Swallow, a gentle smile blooming on her face. But the smile froze the moment she saw Little Swallow's face. Her eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. The Little Swallow before her looked exactly like herself in her dreams!

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Little Swallow was frightened by Little Swallow's gaze, her voice lowered, and she asked timidly, her eyes full of doubt and unease.

Little Swallow snapped out of her daze and quickly said, "It's alright, Princess. Come here and let Her Majesty the Empress take a good look at you." She reached out and pulled Little Swallow over, carefully examining her face. The more she looked, the more she felt that Little Swallow resembled herself in her dream, her eyes filled with inquiry and contemplation.

Liu Hong watched from the side, puzzled but not daring to ask any questions. She could only stand quietly and observe everything.

Little Swallow couldn't help but ask, "Princess, do you know Ziwei and Jinsuo?"

Little Swallow tilted her head, looking completely bewildered: "Ziwei and Jinsuo? Who are they? I don't know them. Your Majesty, are they your friends?"

Xiao Yanzi's heart sank; as expected, Ziwei and Jinsuo were not there. She forced a smile: "It's nothing, perhaps Her Majesty the Empress made a mistake."

At this moment, Consort Ling hurriedly walked in and was slightly taken aback when she saw the scene inside the room: "Your Majesty, the Princess is here too."

Little Swallow stood up and said, "Consort Ling, you've come at the right time. I have something important to discuss with you." Then, she looked at Little Swallow and Liu Hong, "You two go and play first."

Although Little Swallow was somewhat unwilling, she obediently left with Liu Hong, turning back every few steps with a look of reluctance in her eyes.

Consort Ling walked to Xiao Yanzi's side and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, what happened?"

Xiao Yanzi took out an account book from her sleeve, her expression serious: "Consort Ling, take a look at this."

Consort Ling took the account book, opened it, and her face instantly turned deathly pale, her lips trembling slightly: "This... what's going on? There are so many traitors in the palace colluding with a mysterious organization!"

Little Swallow whispered, "I found this in a secret room in Shufangzhai. It seems that the power of this mysterious organization is far greater than we imagined. This matter is of great importance and must be handed over to the Emperor as soon as possible."

Consort Ling nodded: "Your Majesty is right, let's go to the Imperial Study now."

The two arrived at the imperial study, and after being announced by a eunuch, they went inside. Hongli was reviewing memorials when he saw them enter. He put down his pen and said, "Empress, Consort Ling, what brings you here?"

Xiao Yanzi stepped forward and presented the account book to Hongli: "Your Majesty, this is the account book that I just discovered, which concerns the transactions between the mysterious organization and the traitors in the palace."

Hongli took the account book, his face growing increasingly grim, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with rage: "These traitors, how dare they be so audacious!" He slammed his hand on the table, causing the ink and brushes on it to bounce and the brushes in the pen holder to roll out.

Lin Yuhang and Fu Lun entered the imperial study at that moment and were startled to see Hongli's angry face. Lin Yuhang stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what has happened?"

Hongli handed the account book to Lin Yuhang: "Take a look, the claws of this mysterious organization have actually reached into my palace!"

After reviewing the ledger, Lin Yuhang was also shocked, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "Your Majesty, it seems we must speed up the investigation and bring all these traitors to justice, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

Fu Lun stroked his beard, his expression grave: "This old minister suggests that we immediately investigate the personnel involved in the accounts, secretly monitor them, and take them down in one fell swoop when they make any moves."

After much discussion, the group devised a detailed capture plan. Little Swallow stood to the side, watching everyone busy at work, but her mind was still filled with thoughts of Little Swallow's face, which was exactly the same as the one in her dream.

"Your Majesty, there is something I cannot understand," Xiao Yanzi suddenly said.

Hongli looked at her, his gaze gentle and concerned: "Empress, please speak freely."

Little Swallow hesitated for a moment, then said, "Today, Little Swallow came to see me, and I found that she looks exactly like myself in my dream. However, my friends Ziwei and Jinsuo from my dream did not appear. Could there be any connection between them?"

Hongli frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. He knew he couldn't tell Xiaoyanzi about his past life. He carefully chose his words and slowly began, "Perhaps this is related to your amnesia and your past life. If Ziwei and Jinsuo truly appeared as you dreamt, they might be people closely connected to you in your past life. And Xiaoyanzi's appearance might be the key to unlocking your memories." In truth, as a reborn person, Hongli vividly remembered his past life. Ziwei was the daughter he had with Xia Yuhe after they met and fell in love by Daming Lake in Jinan in his previous life. That relationship was passionate yet filled with regret. In this life, he deliberately avoided going to Jinan, not wanting Xia Yuhe to suffer pain and waiting again. He felt that perhaps this way Xia Yuhe could live a peaceful and happy life.

Lin Yuhang chimed in, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, perhaps we could start by investigating Xiao Xiao Yanzi's background; we might find some clues."

Xiao Yanzi nodded slightly: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty and Young Master Lin. I will pay attention."

After the discussion, everyone dispersed. Little Swallow returned to her palace, sat on the edge of her bed, and reflected on the events of the past few days, feeling that everything was shrouded in mystery.

"If I could regain my memories, perhaps all the mysteries could be solved. But how exactly can I regain these memories?" Little Swallow murmured to herself, her eyes filled with confusion, her brows furrowed, and her gaze revealing deep helplessness.

As dusk settled, the setting sun cast a golden glow on the palace's glazed tiles. Yet, the atmosphere within the palace grew increasingly tense. The conspiracy of a mysterious organization loomed like a dark cloud, while the mystery of Xiao Yanzi's memories became a knot in everyone's hearts that urgently needed to be untied.

In the dead of night, the palace was silent, save for the echoing footsteps of patrolling guards in the corridors. Little Swallow lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The image of Little Swallow and the name on the ledger kept flashing through her mind. Suddenly, she heard a slight noise outside the window, like people whispering.

Little Swallow sat up alertly and peered through the crack in the window. She saw two dark figures flash by in the moonlight. Without thinking, she quickly put on her coat, grabbed the sword from beside her bed, gently opened the door, and chased after the figures in the direction they had disappeared.

Moonlight spilled onto the stone path, making Xiao Yanzi's figure appear exceptionally slender in the night. She moved cautiously, each step extremely light, afraid of alerting the enemy lurking in the shadows. When she reached a secluded palace, the shadow suddenly vanished.

"Strange, where is everyone?" Little Swallow muttered to herself, her eyes scanning her surroundings warily.

Just then, she heard a faint breathing sound coming from behind her. Little Swallow turned around abruptly and saw a man in black, holding a sharp blade, rushing towards her.

"Hmph, Your Majesty, I didn't expect you to be so vigilant." The man in black sneered, his voice hoarse.

Little Swallow showed no fear, brandishing her sword to defend herself: "Who are you? Why are you following me?"

The man in black did not answer, and his attack intensified. The two engaged in a fierce battle in the darkness, their swords flashing and the sounds of fighting particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Although Xiao Yanzi was skilled in martial arts, the man in black was clearly a master. After a few moves, Xiao Yanzi gradually found herself unable to keep up.

"Am I going to die here today?" Little Swallow thought to herself, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Just as Little Swallow was in trouble, footsteps suddenly came from afar. The man in black heard the noise, his expression changed, and he said resentfully, "Consider yourself lucky!" After saying that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Xiao Yanzi collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, her heart filled with both lingering fear and confusion. Who exactly was this mysterious man in black? What was his connection to the mysterious organization? And could her memories offer a breakthrough in this crisis? Everything remained unknown, waiting for her to discover…