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

"What? Little Swallow is missing?" Upon hearing the news, Little Swallow felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. The teacup she was holding crashed to the ground with a loud clatter, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere. Her magnificent phoenix robe now seemed like a heavy shackle, binding her movements. Her once rosy complexion turned deathly pale, her eyes widening in terror and disbelief.

"Xiao Tao, what exactly happened? How have you been taking care of the Princess!" Xiao Yanzi suddenly turned around, grabbed Xiao Tao's shoulders, her voice trembling, filled with an unprecedented severity. Xiao Tao turned pale with fright, and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die! This afternoon, the Princess said she wanted to go play in the Imperial Garden, so A Zhu and I accompanied her. But in the blink of an eye, the Princess disappeared without a trace. We searched the entire Imperial Garden, but we couldn't find her."

Little Swallow was frantic and was about to walk out when she almost fell in her panic. Consort Ling, quick-witted and agile, rushed forward to support her: "Your Majesty, please don't panic. Going out like this isn't a solution. We need to calmly think of a plan." Little Swallow took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but her hands still trembled slightly: "Yes, we can't panic. We must find Little Swallow."

At this moment, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Hongli was furious upon learning of this matter. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "A bunch of useless trash! You can't even keep an eye on a princess. What use are you?!" His bright yellow dragon robe swayed slightly with his angry movement, and the jade pendant at his waist made a crisp sound as it clattered, but it did nothing to quell his anger.

Su Peisheng was so frightened that he dared not breathe, his head bowed and his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, please calm down. This servant will go and deliver the decree immediately, ordering the guards to search for the princess with all their might." Hongli glared at him: "Go now! If you cannot find the princess, you will all come back with your heads!"

The atmosphere in the courtyard of Kunning Palace was as heavy as the calm before a storm. Xiao Yanzi paced back and forth, her brow furrowed, each step seeming to weigh heavily on everyone's hearts. She suddenly stopped and turned to Consort Ling, saying, "Consort Ling, immediately inform all the concubines to gather their people and search their palaces thoroughly for any trace of Xiao Xiao." Consort Ling nodded slightly, her expression resolute: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do it immediately."

At the same time, Yongqi rushed to Kunning Palace. Dressed in a smart outfit, his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with anxiety, he said, "Empress Mother, I heard that Little Sister Xiaoxiao is missing. What happened?" Seeing Yongqi, Xiaoyanzi grasped at a lifeline and quickly said, "Yongqi, you've come at the right time! Xiaoxiao has disappeared in the Imperial Garden. Quickly send people to search the palace thoroughly and bring her back safely."

Yongqi knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, rest assured, even if I turn the palace upside down, I will definitely find Little Sister." After saying that, he got up and left in a hurry, his steps quick and filled with an unquestionable determination.

In the Imperial Garden, sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns of light, but no one appreciated this beauty. Guards, long swords in hand, meticulously searched the flowerbeds and rockeries, leaving no corner unchecked. Their footsteps and shouts mingled, shattering the garden's usual tranquility.

"Princess, where are you?" "Little princess, come out quickly!" The shouts echoed in the Imperial Garden, but there was no response.

Accompanied by Xiao Tao and A Zhu, Xiao Yanzi also arrived at the Imperial Garden. Ignoring her status as Empress, she personally searched among the flowers. Her skirt got caught on a branch, but she didn't notice, and with a sharp pull, she continued forward. "Xiao Xiao, you absolutely can't be hurt!" she murmured, her voice trembling with tears.

Just as everyone was extremely anxious, a little eunuch rushed over in a panic and knelt down in front of Xiao Yanzi with a thud: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! This servant just found one of the princess's shoes in a corner of the Imperial Garden." After saying this, he tremblingly pulled a small embroidered shoe from his bosom.

Xiao Yanzi took the shoes, her eyes instantly reddening: "This...this really is Xiao Xiao's shoe. Where did she go? Could she have been captured by the Shadow Pavilion?" Thinking of this, Xiao Yanzi felt a chill rise up her spine.

Upon hearing the news, Yongqi rushed over immediately. Looking at the shoes in Xiaoyanzi's hand, his face darkened: "Empress Mother, it seems little sister has likely been kidnapped. The Shadow Pavilion is utterly despicable; how dare they lay a hand on a child!"

Xiao Yanzi bit her lower lip, a resolute glint in her eyes: "No matter who it is, I will not let them get away with it if they hurt Xiao Xiao! Yongqi, you continue to search for clues in the palace. I'll go see the Empress Dowager and see if she has any ideas."

The atmosphere in Zhen Huan's Cining Palace was equally oppressive. Zhen Huan sat on a carved chair, her expression grave, the prayer beads in her hand slowly turning: "Empress, this matter is indeed thorny. However, I believe that someone is deliberately behind this. The little princess is innocent and has no grudges against any party. They probably kidnapped her to threaten us."

Little Swallow nodded slightly: "What the Empress Dowager says is absolutely right. But what should we do now? I can't rest easy until Xiaoxiao returns home."

Zhen Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do. First, send people to post notices throughout the capital, offering a large reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Little Princess. At the same time, have Yongqi strengthen the palace's security to prevent the Shadow Pavilion from causing trouble again. I will also have Su Peisheng secretly gather information to see if we can find any clues in the martial arts world."

Xiao Yanzi stood up and bowed to Zhen Huan: "Thank you, Your Majesty. If it weren't for Your Majesty's reminder, I would have lost my composure."

After leaving Cining Palace, Xiao Yanzi immediately returned to Kunning Palace and began to arrange the search for Xiao Xiao Yanzi. She sat at the table and personally wrote a notice, every stroke filled with her concern and worry for Xiao Xiao Yanzi.

"Xiao Tao, quickly post these notices in every corner of the capital, making sure everyone knows about this." Xiao Yanzi handed the written notices to Xiao Tao, her eyes full of expectation. Xiao Tao took the notices and nodded vigorously: "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will definitely do a good job."

However, several days passed, and there was still no news of Little Swallow from the capital. Little Swallow lost her appetite and paced back and forth in Kunning Palace all day, her eyes filled with exhaustion and anxiety.

That day, Yongqi came to Kunning Palace again. His expression was somewhat strange, as if he had something difficult to say. "Empress Mother, there is something I don't know if I should say." Yongqi lowered his head slightly, not daring to look Xiaoyanzi in the eye.

Xiao Yanzi's heart tightened: "Yongqi, what time is it? What can't you say? Speak up!"

Yongqi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, while investigating the disappearance of Little Sister these past few days, I discovered some strange things. Someone saw that on the day Little Sister disappeared, Prince Hongshi appeared near the Imperial Garden, and he looked flustered."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanzi's expression changed drastically: "What did you say? Hongshi? How could he be there? Could it be..." Xiao Yanzi dared not think any further, and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

"Your Majesty, I am not certain either, but this matter is indeed too strange." Yongqi frowned. "Your Majesty, should we send someone to investigate Prince Hongshi?"

Xiao Yanzi pondered for a moment and said, "Don't alert him yet. Keep a close eye on Hongshi's every move. If anything seems unusual, report it to me immediately."

After accepting the order, Yongqi turned and left. Xiaoyanzi watched his departing figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She never imagined things would develop this way. Xiaoxiao's disappearance, the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy, Hongshi's unusual behavior—it all felt like a tangled mess, swirling around in her mind, making it hard for her to breathe.

In the dead of night, Kunning Palace was completely silent, broken only by the occasional sound of the wind. Little Swallow lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Gazing at the bright moon outside the window, she silently prayed that her little swallow would return safely.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise outside the window. Little Swallow sat up alertly and called out, "Who's outside?" However, there was no response.

Little Swallow put on her coat and cautiously walked to the window, peering out through the crack. She saw a dark figure flash by and disappear into the darkness. Startled, Little Swallow immediately shouted, "Help! There's an assassin!"

A short while later, Xiao Tao and A Zhu arrived hurriedly with a group of guards. "Your Majesty, what happened?" Xiao Tao asked anxiously.

Little Swallow said solemnly, "I just saw a dark shadow flash past the window. You all need to search for me quickly and find this person."

After receiving their orders, the guards immediately began searching the area around Kunning Palace. However, after searching for a long time, they found nothing unusual.

"Your Majesty, we found nothing." The captain of the guards returned to report.

Little Swallow frowned: "Strange, could I have seen wrong? No, impossible, that dark figure was clearly coming for me. It seems the crisis in the palace is far from over."

Just as everyone was puzzled, Xiao Tao suddenly remembered something: "Your Highness, could it be someone from the Shadow Pavilion? They know we are searching for the Princess with all our might, so they are deliberately causing trouble and distracting us?"

Little Swallow nodded slightly: "That's possible. It seems we can't continue to be passive like this. Starting tomorrow, strengthen security in the palace, especially Kunning Palace and the residences of the concubines. At the same time, continue to intensify the investigation into Xiao Xiao and the Shadow Pavilion. I don't believe they can hide forever!"

The night remained deep, yet the lights of Kunning Palace burned all night long, suggesting a new storm was brewing...