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

As dusk settled, the Forbidden City appeared even more solemn and majestic in the twilight. The outlines of the palaces were sketched by the afterglow, yet the tense atmosphere permeated the air. Inside the Qianqing Palace, candlelight shone brightly. Hongli, dressed in his dragon robe, sat upright on his dragon throne, his expression grave as he reviewed military reports on the border war. The memorials trembled slightly in his hands; each line of text seemed to bear a thousand pounds of weight. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes revealed worry and determination.

"Su Peisheng, have the military pay for the front lines been prepared?" Hongli put down the memorial and asked in a low voice.

Su Peisheng hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department is urgently allocating resources, but the national treasury is also not abundant. This time, supporting the frontier will likely require the use of a considerable amount of reserves." He lowered his head slightly, his face showing a hint of worry.

Hongli frowned slightly and sighed softly, "With the nation in peril, we can't worry about anything else. We must ensure that the military pay is delivered on time and that the soldiers are not disheartened." After saying this, he raised his hand to rub his temples, his exhaustion evident.

Meanwhile, inside Kunning Palace, Xiao Yanzi was also restless. She wore a magnificent phoenix robe, with lifelike phoenixes embroidered on the bright yellow silk. The pearls on her phoenix crown swayed gently with her movements, but they could not hide the anxiety in her eyes.

"Consort Ling, do you think Hongzhou and the others can successfully rescue Xiao Yanzi?" Xiao Yanzi stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, unconsciously clenching her handkerchief.

Consort Ling stepped forward and gently comforted her, "Your Majesty, please don't be too anxious. The Prince and his friends from the martial arts world are very capable; they will definitely be able to bring the little princess back safely." Her eyes also revealed worry, but she still tried her best to remain calm.

Little Swallow nodded slightly and took a deep breath: "I hope so. This child must not be harmed." As she spoke, she walked to the window, looked at the darkening sky outside, and silently prayed.

Outside the capital, a long-abandoned mansion was shrouded in twilight, overgrown with weeds, its dilapidated walls swaying precariously in the cold wind. This was the stronghold of the remnants of Ulihak's gang, a silent atmosphere concealing deadly danger. Hong Zhou, leading a group of martial arts heroes and palace guards, quietly lay in ambush around the mansion. He was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, a sharp sword at his waist, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, intently watching every move within the mansion.

"Listen up, everyone. We must be extremely careful during this operation. Our primary task is to rescue Little Princess. We must not alert the enemy," Hong Zhou said in a low voice to the people around him.

Everyone nodded, their eyes filled with determination. A lithe swordsman stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness, rest assured, we are all prepared. I have already scouted the area around this house; although there are many guards, it is not without its weaknesses."

Hongzhou nodded slightly: "Okay, according to the plan, we will attack from the east and west sides at the same time to attract their attention, and then send people to sneak into the house to find the little princess."

Just as everyone was preparing to act, a faint noise suddenly came from inside the courtyard. Hongzhou immediately raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and everyone held their breath and hid in the shadows. Several men in black hurriedly walked out of the courtyard, carrying weapons, seemingly on patrol.

“It seems they’ve become aware of this,” Hongzhou said in a low voice. “Everyone, don’t make any rash moves. Let’s wait for them to pass.”

Once the men in black were out of sight, Hongzhou waved his hand, and everyone sprang into action. From both the east and west sides, martial arts heroes and guards launched their attacks simultaneously, and shouts of battle filled the air. The men in black inside the courtyard poured out, engaging in fierce combat with them.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Hongzhou led several agile guards and quietly infiltrated the mansion. They searched the dimly lit courtyard carefully, leaving no corner unchecked. Suddenly, one of the guards whispered, "Your Highness, there's a secret room here."

Hongzhou hurried forward and saw that the door to the secret room was tightly closed, with a large padlock on it. He frowned and was about to have someone try to unlock it when he heard a faint sobbing sound coming from inside the secret room.

"It's Little Princess's voice!" Hongzhou was overjoyed. "Quick, find a way to open the door."

The guards quickly fetched tools and, after some effort, finally opened the door to the secret chamber. There, Little Swallow huddled in a corner, her face streaked with tears. Seeing Hongzhou, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes: "Uncle, is that you?"

Hongzhou quickly stepped forward and picked up Xiaoxiaoyanzi: "Little princess, don't be afraid, your royal uncle is here to save you."

Just then, several men in black rushed into the secret room: "Put the little princess down!"

Hongzhou snorted coldly: "You think you can stop me?" With that, he handed Little Swallow to the guards behind him, drew his sword, and began to fight with the men in black.

Inside the palace, Xiao Yanzi continued to anxiously await news in Kunning Palace. She paced back and forth, her handkerchief crumpled in her hand. Consort Ling watched from the side, her heart filled with unbearable sorrow.

"Your Majesty, please sit down and rest for a while. Walking around like this will take a toll on your health," Consort Ling advised again.

Little Swallow shook her head: "How can I sit still? Hongzhou and the others haven't returned yet, and I don't even know if Little Swallow is safe." As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.

Just then, Su Peisheng hurriedly entered the hall: "Your Majesty, the Prince has sent someone back."

Little Swallow quickly turned around: "Quick, let him in."

A guard entered the hall and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, the Prince has found the little princess and is on his way back. However, he encountered enemy ambush along the way and is unable to escape for the time being."

Little Swallow's heart tightened: "What? Are they injured?"

The guard replied, "It's not clear yet. The prince sent me back to tell the empress that he will definitely bring the little princess back safely."

Little Swallow took a deep breath: "Okay, you can go down now."

After the guards left, Xiao Yanzi said to Consort Ling, "No, I can't just wait here. Consort Ling, please come with me to the palace gate to greet them."

Consort Ling nodded slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty."

So, Xiao Yanzi and Consort Ling, surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs, headed towards the palace gate. By this time, it was completely dark, and the lanterns in front of the palace gate emitted a faint light, illuminating a small area. Xiao Yanzi stood in front of the palace gate, gazing at the distant street, silently praying that Hongzhou and Xiao Xiao Yanzi would return safely.

Meanwhile, on the streets of the capital, Hongzhou and his men were struggling to break through the encirclement. They were tightly surrounded by a group of men in black, and although they fought hard, the number of enemies was increasing, making the situation extremely critical.

"Your Highness, this can't go on. We must find a way to break out," said a wandering swordsman.

Hongzhou gritted his teeth: "Listen up, everyone. Let's concentrate our forces and break through to the east. There are relatively fewer enemies there. As long as we break through, we can return to the palace."

The crowd responded in unison, then concentrated their strength and launched a fierce attack towards the east. Hongzhou brandished his sword, charging left and right, leading the crowd to carve a bloody path through the enemy lines.

Finally, they broke through the enemy's encirclement and headed towards the palace. Along the way, they dared not relax their vigilance for a moment, fearing the enemy would catch up again.

When Hongzhou and the others arrived at the palace gate, Xiao Yanzi immediately spotted Little Swallow being held in the arms of a guard. She quickly ran forward: "Little Swallow!"

When Little Swallow saw Little Swallow, she burst into tears: "Mother, I missed you so much."

Little Swallow held Little Swallow in her arms, her eyes filled with heartache: "It's alright, it's alright, Mother is here."

Hongzhou stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "Sister-in-law, I have brought the little princess back safely."

Little Swallow raised her head, tears welling in her eyes: "Thank you for your hard work, Hongzhou. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know what to do."

Hongzhou stood up: "Your Majesty, you flatter me. This is what I should do. However, this operation has made me realize that the remnants of the Ulihak faction are more powerful than we imagined. We must find a way to completely eliminate them as soon as possible."

Little Swallow nodded slightly: "You're right. We'll discuss this further after His Majesty has finished dealing with the affairs on the frontier."

Just then, a young eunuch rushed over and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor summons you and the Prince to the Qianqing Palace immediately."

Xiao Yanzi and Hongzhou exchanged a glance, then, carrying little Xiao Yanzi, headed towards the Qianqing Palace. Inside the Qianqing Palace, Hongli was waiting anxiously. Seeing Xiao Yanzi and Hongzhou enter, he quickly stood up: "Is the little princess safe?"

Little Swallow put Little Swallow down: "Your Majesty, Little Swallow has returned safely."

When Little Swallow saw Hongli, she quickly ran over and said, "Father, I'm scared."

Hongli picked up Little Swallow and gently stroked her head: "Don't be afraid. With your father and mother here, no one can hurt you."

Hongzhou stepped forward and gave Hongli a detailed report on the operation. After listening, Hongli's expression became very serious: "It seems that the remnants of the Ulihak gang are determined to oppose us. The border war is critical, and they are also causing trouble behind the scenes. We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible."

Xiao Yanzi frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, I think we can start with Gao Wuyong and Consort Na. They are definitely involved in Rong Momo's poisoning. If we can get some clues out of them, we might be able to find the hiding place of the remaining Ulihak gang."

Hongli nodded slightly: "You are right. Su Peisheng, convey my decree to bring Gao Wuyong and Consort Na to Qianqing Palace immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Su Peisheng quickly withdrew.

Before long, Gao Wuyong and Consort Na were brought to the Qianqing Palace. Gao Wuyong was pale and trembling, while Consort Na tried to remain calm, but a hint of panic was also revealed in her eyes.

"Gao Wuyong, that concubine, do you know your crimes?" Hongli asked sternly.

Gao Wuyong knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant knows nothing!"

The concubine immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

Little Swallow stepped forward and looked at them coldly: "Hmph, even now you still want to make excuses? Rong Momo was poisoned, and Little Princess went missing. Were you behind all this?"

Consort Na gritted her teeth: "Your Majesty, you can't make false accusations. Rong Momo was my wet nurse, how could I possibly harm her?"

Hongli sneered, "Even now, you still won't admit it. Guards, lock them up separately and interrogate them thoroughly. I refuse to believe we can't pry their mouths open."

"As you command!" The guards stepped forward and took Gao Wuyong and the concubine away.

Watching their departing figures, Hongli's eyes revealed a resolute look: "No matter the cost, I will thoroughly uncover the conspiracy behind this and wipe out the remaining Ulihak followers."

While the palace enjoyed a brief respite of peace, the storm seemed to be just beginning. Would Gao Wuyong and Consort Na be able to reveal crucial clues? What kind of counterattack would the remnants of Ulihak's faction launch? How would Xiao Yanzi and Hongli safeguard the peace of the palace and Xiao Yanzi's future amidst this complex situation? Everything remained uncertain; the nights in the Forbidden City continued to be long and fraught with danger…