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

The sky above the Forbidden City seemed to be soaked in ink, the thick night pressing heavily on every inch of the palace walls. The candlelight in Kunning Palace flickered uneasily in the raging wind, casting long and short shadows of the figures inside. Xiao Yanzi, dressed in a solemn bright yellow phoenix robe, the gold-embroidered phoenix gleaming in the candlelight, only accentuated her somber expression. She sat on a carved pear wood chair, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest, her eyes filled with worry and contemplation.

"Xiao Tao, why haven't the Emperor and the others returned yet?" Xiao Yanzi's voice was slightly tense, revealing her barely concealed anxiety. Her gaze was fixed on the tightly closed palace gates, as if she could see Hongli and Yongqi's figures through the heavy doors.

Xiao Tao stood to the side, her face also full of worry. She gently bit her lower lip and comforted her, "Your Majesty, don't worry too much. The Emperor and the Fifth Prince are blessed by Heaven, and they will definitely be alright." Although she said this, there was a trace of unease in her eyes. She would look out the window from time to time, hoping that the familiar sound of horses' hooves would ring out soon.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence. Xiao Tao rushed forward and opened the door, only to see Su Peisheng burst in, looking panicked, and kneel down with a thud: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Little Swallow suddenly stood up, unconsciously clenching the silk handkerchief in her hand, and her voice rose several decibels: "Su Peisheng, what exactly happened? Tell me quickly!"

Su Peisheng, panting heavily, recounted in detail the attack on the dilapidated temple outside the capital. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanzi's face turned deathly pale. Her hands trembled slightly as she murmured, "The Emperor is injured... what are we going to do?"

"Your Majesty, the Emperor and the Fifth Prince are already on their way back, and Imperial Physician Liu is ready," Su Peisheng quickly added.

Xiao Yanzi took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down: "Okay, I understand. Su Peisheng, you can go now. Report back immediately if there is any news."

After Su Peisheng accepted the order and withdrew, Xiao Yanzi paced back and forth in the hall, filled with self-reproach: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let the Emperor take the risk himself."

Xiao Tao stepped forward and gently took Xiao Yanzi's arm: "Your Majesty, how can this be blamed on you? The Emperor was only trying to find out the truth as soon as possible and protect the peace of the palace."

Xiao Yanzi shook her head slightly, her eyes filled with pain: "No matter what, what should I do if something happens to the Emperor?"

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of hurried footsteps and horses' hooves finally broke the silence. Xiao Yanzi quickly walked to the door and saw Hongli and Yongqi entering Kunning Palace, supported by guards. Hongli's arm was wrapped in bandages, and blood seeped through the layers of gauze. His face was as pale as paper, but his eyes still showed determination.

"Your Majesty!" Little Swallow rushed forward, her eyes filled with concern. "How are you?"

Hongli forced a smile: "I'm fine, just a minor injury. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Xiao Yanzi's eyes were slightly red as she gently stroked Hongli's cheek: "You said you were fine, but you're injured like this. Physician Liu, please take a look at His Majesty."

Physician Liu hurriedly stepped forward and carefully examined Hongli's wound. Xiao Yanzi watched anxiously from the side, frequently asking Physician Liu about the extent of the injury. Yongqi stood to the side, a look of guilt on his face.

"Empress Mother, it's all my fault for not protecting Father properly, which led to Father's injury." Yongqi lowered his head, his voice full of self-reproach.

Xiao Yanzi looked at Yongqi and sighed softly: "Silly child, how can this be your fault? You're injured too, let Doctor Liu take a look at you as well."

After examining Hongli's injuries, Imperial Physician Liu said, "Your Majesty's injuries are not serious, but you need to take good care of yourself and avoid getting angry or overworking."

Xiao Yanzi breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good. Physician Liu, thank you for your hard work. Please use the best medicine to help His Majesty recover as soon as possible."

After Physician Liu withdrew, Hongli sat by the bed, looking at the account book he had brought back from the dilapidated temple, his brows furrowed: "Although the accounts in this account book are obscure, I have already made some progress. However, to completely uncover the true face of the traitor, we need more evidence."

Xiao Yanzi sat beside Hongli and gently held his hand: "Your Majesty, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together. I believe that as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to find this traitor."

Just then, Xiao Tao walked in: "Your Majesty, Princess Hejing requests an audience."

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

Princess Hejing walked in and, seeing Hongli injured, her expression changed: "Father, how did you get hurt?"

Hongli waved his hand: "I'm fine, just a minor injury. Hejing, you've come at the right time. We were just discussing our next plan. Do you have any new information about your friends in the martial arts world?"

Princess Hejing quickly said, "Father, I just received news that my friend said that the Shadow Pavilion has another secret contact point in a silk shop in the capital."

Little Swallow's eyes lit up: "Hejing, are you sure? This is an important clue."

Princess Hejing nodded vigorously: "I'm sure. My friend said that he saw several suspicious people going in and out of that silk shop, and he also heard them mention the Shadow Pavilion's code."

After a moment of contemplation, Hongli slowly said, "It seems we can no longer sit idly by and wait for our doom. Tomorrow, I will send General Zhaohui with his troops to investigate that silk shop."

Xiao Yanzi quickly stopped him: "Your Majesty, you have just been injured and cannot take any more risks. Let General Zhao Hui take more men and proceed with caution."

Hongli smiled slightly and held Xiaoyanzi's hand: "I know you are worried about me. Don't worry, I will not take risks again. This time, I will send General Zhaohui. He is meticulous, brave and resourceful. He will definitely be able to find out the truth."

Little Swallow had no choice but to nod: "Alright then, Your Majesty must remind General Zhaohui to be very careful."

The next morning, as dawn broke, General Zhao Hui, dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit with a sharp longsword at his waist, stood dashingly outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Behind him stood a group of elite soldiers, each with a serious expression, fully prepared for battle.

Hongli stood on the steps, looking at General Zhaohui with a solemn expression: "Zhaohui, this mission is of great importance. You must be careful and cautious, and do not alert the enemy. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately. I cannot lose you again."

General Zhao Hui knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost to fulfill my mission!" After saying this, he mounted his horse and led his soldiers away from the palace in a grand procession.

The streets of the capital were bustling with people. General Zhao Hui led his soldiers to the silk shop. He scanned the surroundings warily, finding nothing amiss. He nodded slightly, signaling his soldiers to proceed with caution, and then strode into the silk shop.

Inside the silk shop, a middle-aged man greeted them with a broad smile: "Gentlemen, what kind of silk would you like to buy?"

General Zhao Hui looked at him coldly: "We're not here to buy silk, we're here to investigate a case. Call your boss out."

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smile: "Sir, are you joking? What kind of cases could we possibly have with our small business?"

General Zhao Hui snorted coldly: "Enough nonsense. If you don't call your boss out, don't blame me for being impolite!" As he spoke, he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes revealing a sense of intimidation.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man had no choice but to say helplessly, "Okay, okay, I'll go call our boss right away." With that, he turned and went into the inner room.

A short while later, a stout man emerged, his face beaming with smiles: "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

General Zhao Hui looked him up and down and said slowly, "Someone reported that your silk shop is colluding with the Shadow Pavilion. We are going to search this place now."

The obese man's expression changed drastically: "Sir, please don't wrong an innocent person! We're just an ordinary silk shop, how could we possibly be colluding with the Shadow Pavilion?"

General Zhao Hui completely ignored his explanations and waved his hand, ordering the soldiers to immediately begin searching the silk shop. A flicker of panic crossed the obese man's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

Just then, a soldier discovered a hidden compartment in a corner. General Zhao Hui stepped forward, forcefully opened the compartment, and found some letters and ledgers inside. General Zhao Hui picked up the letters, examined them carefully, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face: "Hmph, let's see how you deny it now! These letters are enough to prove that your silk shop is the secret contact point of the Shadow Pavilion."

Seeing that his plan had been exposed, the obese man suddenly drew a dagger from his waist and lunged at General Zhao Hui: "Now that you've discovered me, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

General Zhao Hui reacted swiftly, dodging the fat man's attack with a sidestep. He swung his sword, knocking the dagger from the fat man's hand, then kicked him to the ground: "Still trying to resist? You'd better behave!"

The soldiers rushed forward and subdued the obese man and everyone else in the silk shop. General Zhao Hui, holding the letters and account books, was filled with joy: "Finally, we have substantial evidence! Let's see how long that traitor can hide!"

However, just as he was about to leave with his men, a group of men in black suddenly surged into the silk shop and surrounded them. The leader of the men in black sneered, "Zhao Hui, do you think you can catch us? Today, none of you will leave alive!"

General Zhao Hui's expression changed; he knew that this time they had encountered real trouble...