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

Chapter 509: The Winds of Change, the Mystery Unfolds Again

Outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, dusk, as dark as ink, pressed down heavily, shrouding the majestic palace in solemnity. Xiao Yanzi and the others waited quietly outside the hall, the surrounding silence almost oppressive, save for the distant watchman's gong from the palace walls, each strike a chord in their hearts. Xiao Yanzi's dark blue outfit was worn and patched, several marks particularly noticeable in the dim light. She unconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes, her brow furrowed, glancing frequently at the closed palace doors, her eyes filled with anxiety and confusion. "I wonder what the Emperor summoned us for?" she murmured to herself, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.

Yongqi stood beside her, his dark robes fluttering in the night wind. He gently patted Xiaoyanzi's shoulder, trying to soothe her: "Don't worry too much. His Majesty is always wise and won't make things difficult for us." Despite his words, his slightly trembling fingertips betrayed his inner unease.

Erkang gripped the hilt of his short sword. The bloodstains on his dark blue training uniform appeared even darker in the night. He scanned his surroundings warily and said in a low voice, "No matter what happens, we must remain vigilant. The situation in the palace is becoming increasingly complicated."

Lin Yuxuan's face was pale, and his hand holding the wooden stick trembled slightly. He forced himself to stay calm and said through gritted teeth, "As long as I can clear my sister's name, I'm not afraid of anything."

Just as everyone was whispering among themselves, the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation slowly opened, and a figure in bright yellow stepped out. It was the Emperor, dressed in a magnificent dragon robe and wearing a crown, his expression dignified and imposing. Upon seeing him, everyone immediately knelt and bowed, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The Emperor slightly raised his hand: "Rise, all of you." His gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Xiao Yanzi. "Xiao Yanzi, do you know why I summoned you to the palace?"

Xiao Yanzi raised her head, looked directly into the Emperor's eyes, and said with a firm expression, "Your Majesty, I suspect it must be related to Lin Xiaoyan's case and the mysterious Shadow Pavilion."

The Emperor nodded slightly: "You are indeed clever. I have recently received many secret reports that there are undercurrents in the capital, and it seems that a mysterious force is plotting something in secret. The Lin family's matter is by no means accidental."

Xiao Yanzi's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to speak when a young eunuch rushed over, looking flustered: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Shen requests an audience, saying she has something important to tell you!"

The Emperor frowned slightly: "Let her in."

As soon as she finished speaking, a concubine dressed in a light pink qipao rushed in. She looked anxious, and her face still had wet tear stains. As soon as she entered, she knelt down on the ground with a "thud": "Your Majesty, please save me!"

The Emperor's face darkened: "Consort Shen, what has happened? Such panic is utterly unbecoming!"

Consort Shen sobbed, “Your Majesty, today the Empress summoned all the concubines to Kunning Palace and gave us a severe scolding. She also specifically warned Consort Ling not to be kind to Xiao Yanzi. I find the Empress’s behavior lately to be very strange, completely unlike her usual style. I am truly frightened, which is why I have come to report to Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yanzi was startled and exchanged a glance with Yongqi and the others. She recalled her encounter at the dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city and the Empress's strange words and actions, and vaguely felt that the conspiracy behind this was probably more complicated than they had imagined.

The Emperor's face grew increasingly grim: "Is this true? The Empress has indeed been acting strangely lately. I will send people to investigate. You may all leave now. Without my decree, you are not to leave the palace at will."

The group acknowledged the order and slowly withdrew. As they left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Yongqi said in a low voice, "It seems the Empress has already taken action. We need to speed up our investigation."

Little Swallow nodded: "That's right, I plan to try my luck at the library tonight. Maybe I can find more clues about the Shadow Pavilion."

Back at Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi ate a few bites of food and then began preparing her nighttime attire. She changed into a black night outfit, concealed her long whip at her waist, and stuffed some necessary tools into her bosom. Yongqi and Erkang were also ready, and the three of them, under the cover of night, quietly made their way towards the library.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the stone path of the palace, casting the tall, slender shadows of three people. They carefully avoided the patrolling guards along the way and soon arrived at the library. The library doors were tightly shut, and an air of antiquity permeated the surroundings. Little Swallow gently pushed the door, only to find it locked.

"Let me do it." Er Kang took out a small tool from his pocket, skillfully inserted it into the keyhole, and after a while, there was a "click" sound and the lock opened.

The three of them quietly entered the library. It was dimly lit and filled with rows of tall bookshelves piled high with various ancient books. Xiao Yanzi took a deep breath and said, "Let's split up and search carefully. We can't overlook any clues."

Yongqi and Erkang nodded and walked off in different directions. Xiaoyanzi weaved among the bookshelves, her eyes quickly scanning each ancient book. Suddenly, she noticed a strange pattern on the cover of one of the books. The pattern seemed familiar, and upon closer inspection, she realized it resembled a symbol from the murals in the Shadow Pavilion.

Little Swallow was overjoyed and quickly took down the ancient book, turning to the first page, which read: "Shadow Pavilion, a mysterious organization in the martial arts world. Its leader possesses extraordinary abilities and controls countless secrets..."

She eagerly continued reading, her expression growing increasingly grave as she delved deeper. It turned out that the Shadow Pavilion not only had intricate connections with martial arts factions, but also secretly colluded with certain forces within the imperial court. They seemed to be plotting a momentous event, and all of this was inextricably linked to the mysterious mural.

"Yongqi, Erkang, come and see!" Xiaoyanzi called out in a low voice.

Yongqi and Erkang rushed over, and the three of them gathered together, carefully reading the contents of the ancient book.

"It seems our previous guess was correct; the Shadow Pavilion is indeed the key," Yongqi said solemnly.

Erkang nodded: "However, it doesn't mention the specific details of the conspiracy, so we need to keep looking."

Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside: "Strange, I clearly saw someone coming this way, but they've disappeared?"

"Search carefully, they might be hidden in the library. If they escape, we won't be able to explain it to Her Majesty the Empress."

Xiao Yanzi and the others were startled. They knew that they must have been discovered by the Empress's people.

"What should we do?" Yongqi asked in a low voice.

Little Swallow gritted her teeth: "We can't let them catch us, let's go out the window."

The three quickly put the ancient books back in their places, then ran to the window, opened it, and jumped out. As soon as they landed, they saw a group of guards holding torches surrounding the library.

"There they are! Seize them!" a guard shouted.

Xiao Yanzi and the others dared not linger and turned to run towards the Imperial Garden. In the Imperial Garden, the night was deep, and the flowers, trees, and shrubs cast dark shadows in the moonlight. They weaved through the flowers and trees, trying to shake off the guards behind them.

However, the guards pursued them relentlessly and soon cornered them.

"Now let's see where you can run!" the leading guard said with a sneer, his long sword gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Xiao Yanzi and the others stood back to back, ready for battle. Xiao Yanzi drew her long whip, the tip swaying gently in the air, her eyes resolute and fearless: "Trying to catch us? Then try it!"

Yongqi drew his longsword, its blade gleaming coldly: "Even if it costs me my life, I cannot let them succeed!"

Erkang gripped his short sword, crouched slightly, and assumed a fighting stance: "Come on, today I'll show you what we're made of!"

Just as tensions were running high, a dark figure suddenly leaped down from a tree, rushing towards the guards with incredible speed. Upon closer inspection, they saw it was a masked man dressed in black. The masked man was highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless in his attacks; the guards were thrown into chaos.

"You all run! I'll hold them off!" the masked man shouted as he fought the guards.

Little Swallow and the others didn't have time to think and turned to run in another direction. They twisted and turned in the Imperial Garden and finally escaped the guards' pursuit.

Back at Shufangzhai, the three were exhausted and panting. Xiao Yanzi was filled with doubt: "Who was that masked man? Why did he help us?"

Yongqi shook his head: "I don't know either, but judging from his skills, he should be a master."

Erkang pondered for a moment: "No matter who he is, at least he's on our side now. Let's rest for a bit and think of a way to continue the investigation when it gets light."

Little Swallow nodded. She knew that the danger of this night was just the beginning; in the days to come, they would face even more challenges and dangers. What kind of conspiracies and crises would the mysterious Shadow Pavilion and the erratic Empress bring them? Everything remained to be seen…