Chapter 229 Mother Removed, Child Remaining

Eunuch Zhu continued, "But that's not enough."

"It will require Madam Huo to personally go before His Majesty and present evidence of Huo Yunzhan's killing of his brother and his framing of the Shen family at Liu Wenyuan's behest."

Madam Huo's face darkened instantly, and she hesitated.

Eunuch Zhu looked at her, a knowing glint in his eyes: "Madam, this has two purposes. First, to make everyone believe that you and Huo Yunzhan have completely broken up. Second," he lowered his voice even further, "to use the evidence you submitted to pin all the blame on Liu Wenyuan."

"If we can pin all the blame on Liu Wenyuan and completely absolve His Majesty, then His Majesty can better protect the Huo family."

"As for General Huo, Madam, you don't need to worry. When we rescue General Huo, we will let you meet him, and you can explain things to him then."

"General Huo knows that you did all this for him and for the Huo family. He is so moved that he will not blame the old lady."

Madam Huo was tempted.

Huo Yunzhan was, after all, her own son; she couldn't just stand by and watch him die.

No matter what, by what means, we should at least save his life and keep him alive.

Only by living can there be a future.

There is hope only when you are alive.

but……

She frowned deeply: "But I have no evidence."

“Evidence,” Zhu Gonggong laughed, his laughter filled with endless calculation, “can be forged. No matter what kind of evidence it is, it will be more convincing if it comes from you, the biological mother of both Marquis Yongning and General Huo.”

After a long silence, Madam Huo finally nodded slowly.

After leaving the Huo residence, Eunuch Zhu quickly turned into a quiet alley.

He then landed silently in the backyard of the Regent's Palace with a few leaps.

He raised his hand and removed the lifelike human skin mask from his face, revealing Yuanbao's familiar baby face.

"Your Highness, Your Highness," he reported bowing, his voice filled with pride, "Old Madam Huo has agreed."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingci let out a long sigh of relief.

“It seems,” she said slowly, “that temporarily replacing the person impersonating Liu Wenyuan with someone from the Yongming Emperor’s faction was effective. If it had been someone from Liu Wenyuan’s faction, Old Madam Huo probably wouldn’t have agreed so readily.”

Chu Jichen nodded, his eyes full of approval: "Liu Wenyuan is a wanted criminal now, and Old Madam Huo probably wouldn't want to be associated with him. She's also worried that if Liu Wenyuan is defeated, her son will be stuck in the shadows forever."

"Emperor Yongming is, after all, the emperor. Old Madam Huo might think that once things are over, Huo Yunzhan is 'loyal' to Emperor Yongming, and perhaps he can be reinstated."

"In fact, you might even be given an important position by Emperor Yongming because you obtained one of his secrets."

Yuanbao stood to the side, his eyes still filled with worry.

"Your Highness, Your Highness," he couldn't help but ask, "I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm worried that when Old Madam Huo goes to submit the evidence to Emperor Yongming, she might mention this matter to him, but Emperor Yongming knows nothing about it. Wouldn't that expose the truth?"

Shen Qingci and Chu Jichen exchanged a glance and said in unison:

"impossible."

Shen Qingci explained, "This is a secret. Old Madam Huo is worried about affecting her son, so she would never ask about it."

"As for Emperor Yongming," Chu Jichen continued, "as long as the evidence presented by Old Madam Huo has nothing to do with him and all points to Liu Wenyuan, he will naturally remain indifferent and uninvolved."

Yuanbao nodded thoughtfully: "That's true."

The next day, just as dawn broke, an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage quietly stopped outside the dilapidated courtyard in the south of the city.

Granny Wang slowly alighted from the carriage, straightened her clothes, and then stepped forward to gently knock on the courtyard gate.

It was Jinxiu who opened the door.

When she saw Granny Wang, there was no surprise on her face. She simply gave a curtsy, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "Granny, what brings you here?"

Looking at the little maid who used to work under her, now daring to sit on equal footing with her, Granny Wang felt resentful but dared not show it in the slightest.

She forced a smile, her voice filled with deliberate intimacy: "Jinxiu, this old woman... is here on the orders of the old lady to discuss important matters with you."

Jinxiu stepped aside and invited the person into the house.

“The old lady said,” Granny Wang said bluntly, her voice full of a condescending tone, “that it is acceptable for you to enter the mansion and acknowledge that your children are of the Huo family bloodline. But… she has conditions.”

A knowing glint flashed in Jinxiu's eyes.

Wang Mama continued, her tone as if she were proclaiming an irresistible decree: "All the children must... be placed by the old lady's side, to be raised by her personally."

“To prevent the child from turning against her when she grows up,” a cold glint flashed in Wang Mama’s eyes, “the old lady has ordered that neither you nor that woman are allowed to enter the mansion. She will… properly arrange your whereabouts.”

Granny Wang looked at Jinxiu with utter arrogance and disdain.

Jinxiu should immediately be grateful and kneel down to express her thanks.

After all, for women of low social status, being able to have their children recognized as ancestors and marry into higher social classes is already an immense blessing.

As for themselves...

Who would care?

Granny Wang slowly stood up and comforted you in a compassionate tone, "Don't worry, the child... the old lady will definitely be able to take good care of him. After all, he is also a member of the Huo family."

To everyone's surprise, Jinxiu frowned sharply upon hearing this!

Instead of being grateful, she laughed out loud, her laughter filled with endless mockery and disdain.

"Remove the mother and keep the child?" She looked at Granny Wang with an expression as if she were looking at a huge joke. "Old Madam Huo...you've got a good plan!"

"Impossible!" Her voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with an undeniable determination!

"Now, who doesn't know that Huo Yunzhan's fate is grim after being imprisoned?"

"If Huo Yunzhan is gone, the Huo family will be completely ruined, and there will be no future for them!"

Jinxiu approached Granny Wang step by step, who was already stunned by her words.

“Granny,” her voice was icy cold, “you are probably… mistaken about something.”

"Now, it's not like we're begging Old Madam Huo to let our children into the Huo family."

"But..." A chilling glint flashed in her eyes, "Old Madam Huo needs our children! To continue the Huo family bloodline! To prevent the Huo family from being completely destroyed in her hands!"

“If this is Madam Huo’s attitude,” Jinxiu sneered, her eyes filled with utter contempt, “then we might as well not go back!”

“Anyway,” she said, looking at Granny Wang, “if Old Madam Huo has the ability, she can certainly rescue Huo Yunzhan!”

“But if we can’t save her,” a cruel smile curved her lips, “then she’ll have plenty of times to beg us!”