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

Xiao Yanzi and Hongli quietly made their way towards the valley, proceeding cautiously and constantly keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Fourth Prince, what secrets do you think are hidden in that valley?" Little Swallow asked in a low voice, her eyes full of curiosity and nervousness.

Hongli frowned slightly and said cautiously, "It's not clear yet, but since it's a stronghold of the Shadow Pavilion, there must be many key points related to their conspiracy. We must be extra careful!"

"Hmph, no matter what happens, we can't back down!" Little Swallow clenched her fist, her face resolute.

Before long, they arrived near the valley. The valley was surrounded by lush vegetation and exuded a mysterious aura. Several men in black were guarding the entrance.

"Fourth Prince, look at those guards, how do we get in?" Little Swallow asked softly.

Hongli pondered for a moment and said, "Observe them first, find an opportunity to lure them away, and then sneak in."

The two hid behind some bushes, quietly waiting for their chance. Suddenly, a wild rabbit darted out of the bushes, and the men in black immediately gave chase.

"The opportunity has come!" Little Swallow whispered.

They quickly got up and tiptoed towards the entrance of the valley. Once inside, they found a completely different world, with several houses scattered in a well-organized manner, and some men in black moving around.

"Let's split up and look for clues. You go that way, I'll go this way. If there's anything, send a signal immediately," Hongli whispered.

"Okay, Fourth Prince, be careful too!" Little Swallow replied, and then sneaked towards the house on the left.

Little Swallow quietly approached the house and peered through the window. Inside, she saw some strange objects and a large map hanging on the wall, marked with many places that seemed to be important strongholds.

"Hmm, this map looks complicated!" Little Swallow thought to herself, and was about to go in and take a closer look when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.

She quickly hid behind a water vat and held her breath. A man in black entered the room, muttering, "Hmph, those Hongli and Xiaoyanzi really dare to investigate. This time, we can't let them leave alive!"

Little Swallow was startled, thinking, "They really have been watching us all along. We can't let them succeed!"

As the man in black turned around, Little Swallow suddenly jumped out from behind the water vat, lashed out at him with her whip, and shouted, "Your conspiracy will not succeed!"

The man in black hadn't expected anyone to be inside. He was struck squarely and screamed in pain before engaging in a fight with Xiao Yanzi.

Meanwhile, Hongli also discovered many scrolls filled with mysterious symbols in another room. He was looking at them intently, trying to find clues related to the murals of the Shadow Pavilion, but he was also discovered by several men in black who rushed over after hearing the noise.

"Oh, Fourth Prince, you've walked right into a trap!" a man in black sneered.

"Hmph, you think you can stop me?" Hongli drew his sword, showing no fear.

Suddenly, the valley echoed with the sounds of fighting. Little Swallow fought her way towards Hongli, calling out, "Fourth Prince, I'm here!"

Upon hearing the voice, Hongli responded, "Little Swallow, be careful!"

The two gradually reunited, back to back, and began to contend with the group of men in black. However, as the number of men in black increased, they gradually became more strained.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. It turned out that General Zhao Hui had arrived with a group of soldiers.

"Fourth Prince, Princess Consort, I am here!" General Zhao Hui shouted, leading his soldiers into the enemy ranks.

With reinforcements arriving, the men in black were quickly routed and scattered in all directions.

Little Swallow, panting heavily, said, "General, you've come just in time! Any later and we wouldn't have been able to hold on."

General Zhao Hui smiled and said, "I was worried about you, so I searched all the way here. Fortunately, I made it in time."

Hongli said, "General, we owe you a lot again this time. Let's quickly see if there are any other important clues in this valley."

The group began a thorough search of the valley. In a secret room, they found a booklet containing a list of people secretly colluding with the Shadow Pavilion and some court officials, as well as details of a series of conspiracies they were plotting.

"Good heavens, so they've been up to so many tricks behind my back!" Little Swallow exclaimed angrily, her eyes wide.

Hongli's face was gloomy: "It seems that the influence of the Shadow Pavilion has infiltrated all parts of the court. We must wipe them out as soon as possible and restore order to the court."

Just then, Lin Yuhang arrived at the valley.

“Sister, Fourth Prince, I heard you came to this valley and was worried about the danger, so I rushed over,” Lin Yuhang said.

Little Swallow laughed and said, "Brother, you've come at just the right time. We've found a very important clue."

Lin Yuhang looked at the booklet, his brows furrowed: "This is serious. We must handle this carefully to avoid alerting them."

“Brother Lin is right. Let’s return to the capital first and then discuss this further,” Hongli nodded.

After packing their belongings, the group set off back to the capital. Along the way, they discussed how to use these clues to uncover a larger conspiracy behind the Shadow Pavilion.

After returning to the capital, they first went to the Prime Minister's residence.

As soon as the Prime Minister's wife saw Xiao Yanzi, she rushed over to greet her: "Oh my, my precious daughter, you're finally back! I was so worried about you!"

Little Swallow rushed into the Prime Minister's wife's arms: "Mother, I'm perfectly fine, don't worry."

Prime Minister Lin also came over: "Did you gain anything from this trip to the frontier?"

Hongli said, "Lord Lin, you have gained a lot, but the conspiracy behind it is becoming more and more complicated, and it has also involved many people in the court."

Lord Lin's expression was grave: "It seems this matter is quite troublesome. However, we must work together and absolutely not let those treacherous officials succeed."

At this moment, Su Peisheng also arrived at the Prime Minister's residence.

"Fourth Prince, Princess Consort, His Majesty has heard that you have returned and has summoned you to the palace immediately," Su Peisheng said.

Xiao Yanzi and Hongli exchanged a glance, understanding that they must be about to report their discovery to the Emperor.

On the way to the palace, Xiao Yanzi said with some worry, "Fourth Prince, will the Emperor be furious when he finds out about these things? After all, there are too many people involved."

Hongli held her hand and comforted her, "Don't be afraid. We will report the truth, and I believe the Emperor will make his own decision."

Upon arriving at the palace, Yongzheng was sitting in the main hall, his expression solemn.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty," Hongli said, bowing.

Little Swallow also bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Yongzheng looked at them and slowly said, "Hongli, Xiaoyanzi, did you find any clues about the Shadow Pavilion during your trip to the frontier?"

Hongli stepped forward and presented the booklet: "Father, I have made quite a haul this time. This booklet records the details of the Shadow Pavilion's collusion with some ministers in the court. Please take a look, Father."

Yongzheng took the booklet, and after flipping through it, his face grew increasingly gloomy. He angrily said, "Hmph, these treacherous officials and villains dare to be so audacious!"

Consort Zhen Huan advised from the side, "Your Majesty, please don't get angry. Now that we have found these clues, the most urgent thing is to find a way to bring them all down in one fell swoop."

Yongzheng nodded slightly: "My beloved concubine is right. Hongli, Xiaoyanzi, you have done a great job this time. Continue the investigation and make sure to eradicate the Shadow Pavilion completely!"

"Yes, Father Emperor," Hongli replied.

After leaving the palace, Xiao Yanzi said to Hongli, "Fourth Prince, I think we can start by investigating the key figures mentioned in that book. Maybe we can follow the clues and find out who the leader of the Shadow Pavilion is."

Hongli nodded in agreement: "Yes, that makes sense. However, there will definitely be many obstacles in the process, and we must deal with them carefully."

As they were talking, they ran into Niohuru Zhixi.

"Fourth Prince, Princess Consort, you're back! Did your trip to the frontier go smoothly?" Zhixi asked with a smile.

Looking at her, Xiao Yanzi sensed that her smile seemed somewhat forced, so she said, "Things went fairly well, Zhixi. How have you been these days?"

Zhixi lowered her head slightly: "Thank you for your concern, Madam. I am doing well. I just heard that the matter of the Shadow Pavilion is becoming more and more complicated. Please take good care of yourselves."

Hongli said, "Zhixi, thank you for your concern. We will be careful."

After Zhixi left, Xiaoyanzi frowned and said, "Fourth Prince, I feel like Zhixi knows something, but she seems to be hiding it."

Hongli pondered for a moment: "Her behavior is indeed somewhat suspicious. We should pay more attention to her in the future."

The two then went to see General Zhao Hui to discuss their next course of action.

"General, in your opinion, which person should we start with?" Hongli asked.

General Zhao Hui thought for a moment and said, "Fourth Prince, I think the Minister of Rites mentioned in that booklet has a lot of dealings with the frontier. Perhaps we can find a way through him."

“Alright, let’s start by investigating him.” Hongli made up his mind.

So they began to secretly investigate the Minister of Rites, but they found that he was heavily guarded and that finding evidence would not be easy.

One day, Xiao Yanzi and Hongli disguised themselves and sneaked into a teahouse near the residence of the Minister of Rites, hoping to find out some information.

They had barely sat down when they heard two people at the next table talking quietly.

"Have you heard? The Minister of Rites seems to be planning something big lately, something related to the Shadow Pavilion."

"Oh? Really? That's terrible! If they find out, it's a matter of losing your head!"

"Hmph, he thinks he's being discreet, but how can he hide it from someone who's interested?"

Xiao Yanzi and Hongli exchanged a glance, secretly delighted, feeling that this was an important clue.

Just then, a group of soldiers burst into the teahouse, and the leader shouted, "Someone reported that there are suspicious people here. Search the place!"

Xiao Yanzi and Hongli were startled. Would they be discovered? How could they resolve this new crisis?