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

As dawn broke, the faint morning light struggled to pierce through the thick clouds, casting a pale golden hue over the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City. Inside the Kunning Palace, however, the atmosphere was as heavy as the lingering night, making it hard to breathe. Xiao Yanzi, dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, the intricate embroidery and gold thread appearing cold and heavy in the dim light, paced back and forth in the hall, her brow furrowed and her eyes filled with worry. Each step was slow and heavy.

"Who kidnapped Consort Na and Granny Rong? And why did they do that?" Xiao Yanzi murmured to herself, her voice filled with weariness and confusion. Her hands unconsciously clenched, and the silk handkerchief in her hands was crumpled into a ball, a habitual action she took when anxious.

Hongli sat to one side, his expression equally grave. He wore a black dragon robe, his posture upright, yet he could not hide the weariness on his face. "This matter is definitely related to the remnants of Ulihak's faction. Although Hongzhou destroyed their stronghold outside the capital, they still have some remaining forces. Perhaps they want to use that concubine and Rong Momo to make some trouble." Hongli's voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the empty hall.

Hongzhou stood to the side, still reeling from a fierce battle. His black outfit was stained with blood and torn, and his hair was slightly disheveled, but his eyes remained resolute. "Brother, sister-in-law, no matter who's behind this, we can't let our guard down. That Consort and Rong Mama know a lot about palace affairs. If they fall into enemy hands, the consequences will be unimaginable." Hongzhou frowned slightly, his eyes revealing worry.

At this moment, Su Peisheng rushed in, looking flustered: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, we have just received news that several guards responsible for guarding Consort Na's palace have died. No clues were left at the scene, only some strange footprints were found."

Hongli's face darkened, and he abruptly stood up: "Outrageous! How dare someone be so bold in the palace!" His voice, filled with anger and authority, echoed throughout the hall.

Little Swallow quickly asked, "Su Peisheng, can you tell anything special about those footprints?"

Su Peisheng bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, this servant noticed that the footprints were of different sizes, and the patterns on the soles of the shoes were very strange, unlike anything I have ever seen before."

Hongzhou stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then said, "These footprints may have been left by the enemy to confuse us. But in any case, it shows that they are extremely cautious and are by no means ordinary people."

As everyone was talking, Consort Ling hurried in. She was dressed in a light pink palace dress and looked anxious. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I heard that Consort Na and Granny Rong have gone missing. Is there any news?" Consort Ling's voice was filled with concern and worry.

Xiao Yanzi shook her head slightly: "There's no definite news yet. Consort Ling, you've come at the right time. I was just about to send someone to find you. You usually interact with the concubines in the various palaces quite often. Have you heard of any unusual behavior from that concubine recently?"

Consort Ling frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, I have indeed noticed that the Consort is acting strangely lately. She often goes out alone without allowing any maids or eunuchs to accompany her, and she always looks flustered when she returns. I have asked her about it, but she always stammers and refuses to say more."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Hongli's eyes: "It seems that Consort Na has been involved in something all along. When Rong Momo was poisoned and fell into a coma, she was in a hurry to send her out of the palace. All signs indicate that she has probably been colluding with the remnants of Ulihak's gang for a long time."

Little Swallow nodded slightly: "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. But now that she has disappeared, where should we begin our investigation?"

Just then, Yongqi and Qing'er hurried in. Yongqi was dressed in a moon-white robe with a blue belt around his waist, looking rushed; Qing'er was wearing a light blue cheongsam embroidered with delicate lotus flowers, looking gentle and charming, but her face was also full of worry.

"Father Emperor, Mother Emperor," Yongqi and Qing'er greeted.

Hongli nodded slightly: "Yongqi, Qing'er, you've come at the right time. Now that Consort Na and Granny Rong have disappeared, the Empress and I are discussing how to investigate. Do you have any ideas?"

Yongqi frowned slightly and said, "Father, I think we can start with the people around that concubine. The palace maids and eunuchs around her may know some inside information."

Qing'er quickly added, "Yes, maybe we can find out from them who that concubine usually associates with."

Xiao Yanzi nodded slightly: "Yongqi and Qing'er are right. Su Peisheng, immediately send someone to bring all the palace maids and eunuchs around that concubine. I want to interrogate them myself."

"Yes, sir!" Su Peisheng accepted the order and left.

Before long, Su Peisheng led several palace maids and eunuchs from Consort Na's side into Kunning Palace. These people looked flustered and staggered. As soon as they saw Hongli and Xiaoyanzi, they all knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, we servants know nothing!" a eunuch cried out.

Xiao Yanzi stepped forward, her expression stern: "Do not be afraid. As long as you answer my questions truthfully, I will treat you leniently. Has that concubine been behaving strangely lately? Who has she been associating with?"

A palace maid said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, recently the Consort has been receiving mysterious letters, which she burns hastily after reading them. Also, she secretly met a man in black late at night, but I don't know what they talked about."

Upon hearing this, Hongli's face grew even more gloomy: "Just as I thought! What did that man in black look like?"

The palace maid shook her head: "The man in black was masked, and I couldn't see his face clearly."

Xiao Yanzi frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Was there anything special about the letter that the Consort received?"

Another eunuch quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the envelopes of those letters all have a strange pattern on them, which looks like a black eagle with outstretched wings."

Upon hearing this, Hong Zhou's expression changed: "A black eagle with outstretched wings? This is the symbol of the remnants of Ulihak's gang! It seems that the concubine has indeed been colluding with them for a long time."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

"In this light, the disappearance of that concubine is likely a ploy by the remnants of Ulihak's faction to divert our attention and give them time to carry out their next plan," Hongli said in a deep voice.

Xiao Yanzi nodded slightly: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. We can no longer let them lead us by the nose; we must take the initiative. Yongqi, go and contact the spies in the capital and have them closely monitor the movements of the remaining Ulihak gang; Qing'er, you and Consort Ling go to the inner palace to appease the other concubines and prevent panic in the palace; Hongzhou, you continue to lead your friends from the martial arts world and the palace guards to search inside and outside the capital and find the whereabouts of Consort Na and Rong Momo."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yongqi, Qing'er, and Hongzhou replied in unison.

After they left, Xiao Yanzi walked to Hongli's side and gently took his hand: "Your Majesty, the situation is so tense now, you must take care of yourself."

Hongli nodded slightly and gently stroked Xiaoyanzi's cheek: "I will. You must also be careful, the remnants of the Ulihak faction might harm you."

Xiao Yanzi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will be fine. We will definitely overcome this crisis and restore peace to the world."

However, just as everyone was diligently conducting their investigation, another unexpected event occurred. An official from the Imperial Household Department rushed into Kunning Palace, his expression panicked: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, something terrible has happened! The imperial treasury has been robbed!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly shocked.

"What? The national treasury has been robbed? What happened?" Hongli's voice was filled with anger and shock.

An official from the Imperial Household Department hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, this morning the guards responsible for inspecting the national treasury discovered that the treasury gates had been pried open, and the gold, silver, jewels, and important documents inside were missing."

Xiao Yanzi's expression changed: "What exactly are these remnants of Ulihak's gang up on? First they kidnapped Princess Hejing, then Consort Na and Granny Rong disappeared, and now they've stolen from the national treasury. What are they plotting?"

Hongli took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down: "No matter what their conspiracy is, I will not let them succeed. Immediately seal off the palace and strengthen security. No one is allowed to enter or leave at will. Su Peisheng, go and convey my decree to summon the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review to the palace immediately. I want to personally oversee this matter."

"Yes, sir!" Su Peisheng accepted the order and left.

The atmosphere in Kunning Palace grew increasingly heavy, a gloomy expression clouding everyone's faces. The theft of the national treasury undoubtedly exacerbated the crisis. Xiao Yanzi had a vague sense of unease; she knew this was merely the calm before the storm, and a greater crisis might be yet to come…