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

Chapter 499: Palace Turmoil, Clever Response

Inside the Shufangzhai, everyone was enthusiastically planning their escape from the palace, unaware that Rong Momo was crouching low, furtively hiding in a corner, having overheard their entire conversation. Her eyes darted around, a smug, wicked smile spreading across her face. She thought to herself, "Hmph, now I have something on them. I'll tell the Empress and teach these restless fellows a lesson!"

Rong Momo rushed to Kunning Palace, panting, and knelt before the Empress. She added fuel to the fire, saying, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! That Little Swallow, along with Prince Yongqi and the two young masters Erkang and Ertai, are actually planning to sneak out of the palace with a commoner girl to play! If this gets out, what will become of the imperial family's reputation! Your Majesty, you must uphold the imperial family's rules and quickly go to the Emperor to complain!"

The Empress's originally dignified face flashed with displeasure in an instant. Her brows furrowed tightly, and she snorted coldly, "These brats are truly ignorant of their own limitations, daring to disregard palace rules." With that, she stood up, straightened her phoenix coronet and wedding robes, and led Rong Momo to the Hall of Mental Cultivation with a menacing air.

At this moment, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Hongli was sitting on the dragon throne reviewing memorials. The Empress strode into the hall, performed a deep bow, and said with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, I have important matters to report." Hongli put down the memorial in his hand, looked up at the Empress, and asked, "Empress, what is the matter that has caused you such a commotion?"

The Empress then recounted everything that Rong Momo had told her, emphasizing, "Your Majesty, is this palace a place where they can come and go as they please? Such disregard for palace rules, if not severely punished, will likely lead to chaos in the palace in the future."

Upon hearing this, Hongli's expression darkened slightly, and he felt somewhat annoyed. However, considering Xiaoyanzi's special status, he hesitated for a moment. He waved his hand and said to the Empress, "Your Majesty, please don't be anxious. I will handle this matter myself."

Meanwhile, in Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi and the others were still excited about their plan to leave the palace. Xiaoyanzi gestured excitedly, "We'll go out through that secluded side gate. There are fewer guards there, and as long as we move quietly, we'll definitely be able to leave unnoticed."

Just as they were having a heated discussion, Xiao Dengzi rushed in, looking flustered, and said, "Miss, something terrible has happened! Rong Momo has gone to the Empress to complain, and the Empress has probably already reported you to the Emperor."

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. Little Swallow's eyes widened, and she said anxiously, "What should we do? We're going to get scolded by the Emperor!"

Ziwei remained calm and, after a moment of contemplation, said, "Everyone, don't panic. Since things have come to this, we need to think of a way to deal with it. The Emperor values ​​the royal family's reputation and palace rules the most, so let's start from that point."

Erkang nodded and said, "Ziwei is right. We can take the initiative to apologize to the Emperor, explaining that we know the palace rules and were just being playful for a moment. We promise not to do it again. We can also mention that our understanding of the common people can provide a reference for the court's governance. Perhaps this can calm the Emperor down."

After discussing their plans, they all went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Upon arriving, they all knelt on the ground. Little Swallow spoke first: "Your Majesty, we were wrong. We shouldn't have ignored the palace rules and tried to sneak out of the palace. We know we were wrong, so please punish us as you see fit."

Hongli looked at the kneeling crowd and said sternly, "Do you know where you went wrong? How can the rules of the palace be trampled on at will?"

Yongqi quickly said, "Father, we were confused for a moment. We only thought about going out to play and neglected the importance of palace rules. We hope that Father will forgive us."

Ziwei also said softly, "Your Majesty, we originally wanted to go out and understand the hardships of the people. We could see the various aspects of people's lives in the market, which might provide some reference for the governance of the court. However, we acted rashly and did not consider everything. We hope Your Majesty will see through our actions."

Hongli's expression softened after hearing their words. He looked at Xiao Yanzi with a hint of barely perceptible doting in his eyes, and after a moment of thought, he said, "This time, considering that you took the initiative to admit your mistakes and that your intentions were not malicious, I will be lenient with you. But this is not to be repeated. If you do it again, I will not let you off lightly."

Everyone quickly expressed their gratitude. After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao Yanzi patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I've finally escaped a disaster. It seems I still need to be more careful in the future."

Ziwei smiled and said, "Yes, this has served as a reminder to us that we must be careful with our words and actions in this palace."

The setting sun cast its glow on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City. Having weathered this storm, the people of Shufangzhai cherished each other even more, and understood the hardships of surviving in the palace. They knew that more challenges and turmoil lay ahead, but as long as they remained united, nothing could stop them from pursuing happiness and freedom. Hongli, watching Xiaoyanzi's retreating figure, his eyes filled with tenderness and longing, witnessed the quiet growth of the secret yet profound affection between him and Xiaoyanzi during their years in the palace.