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

In the early morning, the warm sunlight gently filtered through the carved window lattices, casting golden dappled patterns on the blue brick floor of the Empress's bedchamber. Xiao Yanzi slowly awoke, sitting up gently in bed, her eyes still heavy with sleep. But without warning, the faces of Ziwei, Jin Suo, and Yongqi surfaced in her mind, disturbing her peace. She subconsciously raised a hand to rub her temples, as if that could dispel these troubling remnants of memory.

"Someone come here," Xiao Yanzi called softly, her voice slightly hoarse, echoing in the empty palace.

Upon hearing the sound, the palace maid immediately hurried into the inner room with small, quick steps, and gracefully curtsied: "Your Majesty the Empress, you are awake."

"Help me with my hair and makeup," Xiao Yanzi said, but her gaze was fixed on the window, her mind already wandering far away. The figures that repeatedly appeared in her dreams filled her with doubt and unease.

At this moment, Shufangzhai was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation. Little Swallow was sitting in the courtyard, enthusiastically teasing the caged birds, her clear laughter echoing in the air like silver bells. Liu Hong stood aside, quietly watching this scene, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

"Sister Liu Hong, do you think Her Majesty the Empress will come to play with me today?" Little Swallow asked expectantly, her big, watery eyes sparkling with the pure innocence unique to children.

Liu Hong gently patted her head and said in a tender tone, "Princess, Her Majesty the Empress has been busy dealing with important matters in the palace lately. Once she's finished with this, she'll definitely come to see you."

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study was heavy. Hongli was sitting with Lin Yuhang, Fu Lun, and others, discussing the progress of the investigation into the traitor listed in the account books.

"Your Majesty, we have been secretly monitoring the people listed in the ledger these past few days, and we have not found any unusual behavior from them." Lin Yuhang clasped his hands together, his expression solemn, and his voice low as he reported.

Fu Lun stroked his beard, shook his head slightly, and continued, "This old minister thinks that these people have probably sensed something is amiss, and they have become more restrained and cautious in their actions."

Upon hearing this, Hongli frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes: "Are we just going to let them get away with this? We must speed up the investigation. We absolutely cannot allow them to have a chance to disrupt the sacrificial ceremony, or the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Just then, a eunuch rushed in and announced loudly, "Your Majesty, the Empress requests an audience."

Hongli was slightly taken aback, then said, "Please come in quickly."

Xiao Yanzi walked gracefully into the Imperial Study. Seeing everyone there, she gave a slight curtsy and said, "Your Majesty, Your Excellencies."

Hongli quickly stood up and walked briskly to Xiaoyanzi's side, his concern evident in his words: "Empress, why are you here? Is something the matter?"

Little Swallow raised her head, a hint of expectation in her eyes: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask, is there any progress in the investigation into Little Swallow's background?"

Lin Yuhang stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, we have investigated extensively these past few days and found that Xiao Xiao Yanzi's background has nothing to do with what you dreamed about. She is just a princess who was raised in the palace by a distant relative of a minister."

Upon hearing this, a clear look of disappointment flashed in Xiao Yanzi's eyes: "I see... It seems I was thinking in the wrong direction."

Hongli gently patted Xiaoyanzi's shoulder, trying to comfort her: "Empress, don't be too anxious, there will always be a way to regain your memory."

Xiao Yanzi nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I have been having strange dreams these past few days. There are Ziwei, Jinsuo, and a person named Yongqi, but they have never appeared in reality. I really can't figure it out."

Hongli's heart skipped a beat. He knew, of course, that these people were Xiao Yanzi's old friends from her past life, and that Xiao Yanzi was actually his daughter in her past life. He remembered how Xiao Yanzi had helped Ziwei find her father back then. But now, he couldn't say it directly. He could only suppress the turmoil in his heart and comfort her, saying, "Perhaps it's just some vague memories left in your mind after you lost your memory. Don't worry too much about it. Take it slow."

After discussing for a while, Xiao Yanzi took her leave of the Imperial Study. She wandered aimlessly through the Imperial Garden, the sunlight shining on her, but it couldn't warm the chill in her heart.

"Ziwei, Jinsuo, Yongqi, who are you? Why are you appearing in my dream?" Xiaoyanzi muttered to herself, her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

As she walked, she unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Shufangzhai. Hearing the cheerful laughter of Little Swallow coming from inside, a gentle smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"Your Majesty!" Little Swallow, with her sharp eyes, spotted Little Swallow standing at the door and immediately ran out like a joyful deer, grabbing Little Swallow's hand. "Your Majesty, you've finally come to see me!"

Little Swallow crouched down and patted Little Swallow's head: "Princess, have you been a good girl?"

"Yes, I'm very obedient." Little Swallow nodded vigorously. "Your Majesty, will you play with me?"

Looking at Little Swallow's innocent and pure appearance, Little Swallow couldn't bear to refuse, so she smiled and agreed. The two played hide-and-seek in the courtyard of Shufangzhai, their laughter echoing throughout the courtyard.

Watching this scene, Liu Hong was filled with emotion: "The Empress and the Princess have such a good relationship, just like a mother and daughter."

Tired from playing, Little Swallow and Little Swallow sat on a stone bench to rest. Little Swallow nestled in Little Swallow's arms, looking completely content.

"Your Majesty, will you always stay with me from now on?" Little Swallow suddenly asked, her voice filled with a cautious expectation.

Little Swallow paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course, as long as you're willing, Her Majesty the Empress will always be with you."

Just then, a palace maid rushed over in a panic: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Ling has suddenly fainted!"

Little Swallow's expression changed drastically, and she quickly stood up: "What? How could this happen? Take me to see!"

Little Swallow and Little Swallow hurriedly followed the palace maid to Consort Ling's palace. They saw Consort Ling lying on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

"Consort Ling! Consort Ling! Wake up!" Xiao Yanzi sat down by the bed and anxiously grasped Consort Ling's hand, her voice filled with worry as she called out to her.

After a long while, Consort Ling slowly opened her eyes, saw Xiao Yanzi, and weakly said, "Your Majesty the Empress..."

"Consort Ling, you're finally awake! What happened?" Xiao Yanzi asked with concern, her eyes filled with anxiety.

Consort Ling shook her head slightly: "I don't know either. I suddenly felt dizzy and then fainted."

At this moment, the imperial physician rushed over and took Consort Ling's pulse. Everyone nervously gathered around, not daring to breathe, their eyes fixed on the imperial physician's every move.

The imperial physician frowned deeply. After taking her pulse, he said with a grave expression, "Consort Ling has been poisoned by a slow-acting poison. If it hadn't been discovered in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"What? Poisoned?" Xiao Yanzi stood up abruptly, her eyes instantly blazing with anger. "Who on earth is so bold as to poison Consort Ling!"

Upon learning the news, Hongli immediately rushed to Consort Ling's palace. After listening to the imperial physician's words, his face turned terribly grim: "Investigate this matter thoroughly! Whoever dared to poison me in my palace will not be spared!"

Lin Yuhang and Fu Lun accepted the order and left. Xiao Yanzi sat by Consort Ling's bedside, feeling both angry and worried.

"Your Majesty, there seems to be a bigger conspiracy hidden in this palace. First, there was the matter of the mysterious organization, and now someone is trying to poison Consort Ling." Xiao Yanzi turned to look at Hongli, her eyes full of worry.

Hongli gently held Xiaoyanzi's hand: "Empress, rest assured, I will definitely find out the truth and will never let these villains get away with it."

Consort Ling said weakly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I am fine. Please don't worry too much about me."

Xiao Yanzi looked at Consort Ling and felt a pang of heartache: "Consort Ling, just focus on recovering and don't worry about anything else."

Night fell, and the palace was completely shrouded in darkness, with only a few lanterns casting a faint glow, swaying precariously in the night breeze. Little Swallow returned to her chambers, but couldn't fall asleep. She sat by the window, gazing at the night outside, her unease growing stronger.

"Who is behind this? What is the connection between this mysterious organization and this poisoning incident?" Xiao Yanzi murmured to herself, her eyes filled with confusion and determination.

Suddenly, she heard a slight noise outside the window, like someone moving on the roof. Little Swallow immediately became alert, quickly grabbed the sword beside her bed, gently opened the window, and leaped onto the roof.

Under the moonlight, a dark figure was darting away. Seeing this, Little Swallow didn't hesitate and immediately gave chase. The two engaged in a thrilling chase on the rooftops, the tiles clattering under their feet.

"Stop!" Little Swallow shouted, her sword gleaming coldly.

The shadowy figure didn't stop; instead, it sped up. Just as Xiao Yanzi was about to catch up, the shadowy figure suddenly turned around and shot several hidden weapons at Xiao Yanzi.

Little Swallow quickly swung her sword to defend herself, and the hidden weapons fell to the ground. She looked closely and saw that the dark figure was masked and could not see its face.

"Who are you? Why are you causing trouble in the palace?" Little Swallow glared at her and questioned.

The man in black didn't answer and attacked again. The two engaged in a fierce battle on the rooftop, their swords flashing in the moonlight.

Although Xiao Yanzi was skilled in martial arts, the man in black was clearly a master. After a few moves, Xiao Yanzi gradually began to struggle.

"Am I going to lose to you again?" Little Swallow thought to herself, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Just then, footsteps sounded in the distance, as if guards were approaching. Upon hearing the noise, the man in black's expression changed, and he turned and fled, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Xiao Yanzi slumped on the rooftop, panting heavily, her heart filled with resentment. Who exactly was this mysterious man in black? What was his connection to Consort Ling's poisoning and the mysterious organization? The mysteries seemed to deepen, and Xiao Yanzi knew she had to find the answers as soon as possible to protect those around her and unravel the mystery of her own memories.