The palace in your dream should be your conscious world, which is why the old woman in your dream didn't treat him well at first, because your conscious world is unique to you and will not be easily opened to outsiders; Mother-in-law asked if you had any rope. This rope may be the red line of Yue Lao, but I don't know why you answered no.
Later, you went to the withered old man, where there was a smell of sandalwood and herbs, which should represent the good part of women's consciousness; The treatment of old people is very strange. He used a comb to comb your boyfriend's hair, and he oozed blood. Here, your boyfriend's hair actually represents your boyfriend's troubles. Buddhists call our hair 3,000 troubled hair, and combing our hair will eliminate our troubles.
Finally, I don't quite understand what you mean by the glazed lion and the small fish you see in the corner of the corridor. I guess it may represent Kirin and koi fish, which are auspicious representatives in traditional culture.
Basically, this is what your dream should mean. Let me sum it up.
You may feel that your boyfriend is in a bad mood recently and his behavior is slightly different from usual. You can feel something in your heart, but you don't know how to help him.
In your article, you call him your boyfriend. I guess you're not married. The mother-in-law in your dream may have your mother's intentions, and the old man may also have your father's intentions. Your boyfriend's troubles and your vague feelings may be related to your emotional growth. It is obviously not appropriate to find a mother to solve them. In your article, it is obvious that finding that old man can solve your boyfriend's worries. This old man may represent your father, and he was finally used in your dreams.
The above answer is purely personal inference due to the lack of your actual situation as a reference. Please forgive me if there is any bias.