Chapter 234 Success

That night, the prison was deathly silent.

Suddenly, a series of heavy footsteps shattered the suffocating silence.

Yuanbao and Yelan, dressed in the attire of palace eunuchs, wearing worn human skin masks, and holding a bright yellow token aloft, arrived directly outside the death row cell where Huo Yunzhan was imprisoned, surrounded by a group of palace servants.

"By His Majesty's secret decree," Yuanbao said in a high-pitched voice, "interrogate... the criminal Huo Yunzhan!"

The jailer dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly opened the heavy cell door.

Huo Yunzhan looked at the sudden scene before him, his eyes filled with vigilance and doubt. He staggered to his feet from the pile of straw covered in filth, his eyes, which had long lost their luster, fixed on the unfamiliar eunuchs in front of him.

After all the jailers had left, Yuanbao slowly stepped forward, lowering his voice even further, but his seemingly docile eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

He spoke quickly to Huo Yunzhan in a voice only the two of them could hear: "General, we...we were sent by His Majesty to rescue you."

As he spoke, he quickly flashed the dragon-patterned jade token in his hand, which still shimmered with a warm luster under the dim candlelight, towards Huo Yunzhan.

That jade token was a token personally bestowed upon the trusted confidants by Emperor Yongming upon his ascension to the throne. Seeing this token was like seeing one's sovereign and relatives!

Incredible ecstasy instantly flashed in Huo Yunzhan's eyes!

Hope, like a ray of light suddenly illuminating the darkest abyss of despair, instantly ignited his entire being!

"Your Majesty..." His lips trembled, his voice hoarse, "His Majesty... has finally come to believe me?"

“My lord, you have misunderstood.” Ye Lan stepped forward, his voice steady and reassuring. “His Majesty’s decision to imprison you was not because he did not trust you, but rather… a temporary measure to appease Chu Jichen and Shen Qingci.”

“His Majesty never intended to really kill you, Marquis,” Yuanbao immediately added. “After all, His Majesty has only recently assumed power and doesn’t have many capable people around him. You, Marquis, are one of the few who have already pledged allegiance to His Majesty, so His Majesty naturally trusts you completely.”

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, Marquis," Ye Lan's voice was full of confidence, "Once Your Majesty has completely eliminated those two major threats, Chu Jichen and Liu Wenyuan, Your Majesty will surely invite you back in great style! At that time, you will definitely be given an important position!"

These words instantly dispelled all of Huo Yunzhan's doubts and anxieties!

He knew that His Majesty wouldn't kill him because of the Shen family's affairs.

He clenched his fists tightly, and the flames of ambition rekindled in his eyes!

"General," Ye Lan stepped forward, his voice steady and resolute, "this place is not safe to stay any longer. I urge you to make a swift decision!"

"Let's go! I'll go with you!" Huo Yunzhan agreed almost without hesitation!

Yuanbao and Yelan immediately gave a wink to the two palace servants they had brought with them.

The two palace servants quickly stepped forward. One took out a human skin mask and tools that had been prepared beforehand, while the other quickly took off his prison clothes.

Ye Lan explained succinctly, “General, I apologize. In order for you to escape unscathed, someone must… take your place.”

Huo Yunzhan looked at the palace servant in front of him, whose figure was quite similar to his own, and then glanced at the human skin mask that looked exactly like his own. He instantly understood.

He nodded, letting the palace maid apply the smear to his face, and then quickly changed clothes with another palace maid.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, one "Huo Yunzhan" collapsed on the straw pile in the prison cell, while the other "Huo Yunzhan" had already changed into the clothes of a palace attendant and blended into Yuanbao's group.

Immediately, Huo Yunzhan followed behind them, head down, his steps hurried, and silently left the living hell that had imprisoned him for several days.

The moment they stepped out of the heavy gate of the prison, a symbol of death and despair, a burst of fire suddenly erupted behind them!

"Fire! Fire!"

A piercing scream instantly tore through the night sky, followed by a cacophony of footsteps and the rapid clanging of gongs!

Huo Yunzhan looked back and saw that in the direction of the death row cell he had just left, flames were raging and thick smoke was billowing, almost turning half of the night sky into an ominous blood red!

Looking at the raging flames, Huo Yunzhan couldn't help but say, "I set fire to it once before. But this newly rebuilt prison has specific measures in place to deal with fires. This fire... will probably be extinguished soon."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lan smiled.

"General, rest assured," his voice was full of calculation, "this fire is not... meant to actually burn down the prison."

"Instead... this fire can allow the imposter to pretend that his throat is sore from the smoke that he will be unable to speak."

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Huo Yunzhan's eyes!

He nodded and exclaimed, "What a brilliant plan!"

Ye Lan continued, "Currently, Chu Jichen and Shen Qingci are keeping a close eye on you. Once something happens in the Heavenly Prison, they... will likely become suspicious very quickly and come to investigate. Therefore, we must arrange for someone to send you away immediately."

"But..." he paused, then tentatively asked, "Before you leave, would you... be willing to see your mother?"

Recalling what Shen Qingci had said earlier, a cold and ruthless glint flashed in Huo Yunzhan's eyes!

Upon seeing this, Ye Lan immediately explained, "General, there's no need to worry. Those... were just temporary measures. It was... it was the old lady who listened to His Majesty's words and cooperated in... putting on a show."

"Only in this way can the old lady and the entire Huo family sever all ties with you after you leave, so that... you will not be affected."

"The Huo family will not be affected. After this matter is over, and His Majesty has successfully seized power and eliminated the Regent and Liu Wenyuan, you can be brought back to the capital."

"Although the Huo family may suffer a slight setback, they can still be your support."

“Yes,” he said, his voice full of seductive meaning, “it’s better than nothing.”

Huo Yunzhan's thoughts raced through his mind in an instant!

He nodded slowly: "Your Majesty is indeed very thoughtful. I am willing to meet with him."

“Then I will make the arrangements immediately,” Ye Lan said. “However, in order to get you out safely and make proper arrangements, I’m afraid… we will have to trouble you, General, to pretend to be a ‘dead man’.”

"I'm sorry."

After Ye Lan finished speaking, before Huo Yunzhan could react, she raised her hand and delivered a sharp chop to the back of his neck!

The news of the fire in the prison reached the Huo residence early the next morning.

Madam Huo immediately sent someone to find out the news.

The response was that the prison did indeed catch fire, but... due to the guards' momentary carelessness, the fire was not large and was quickly extinguished.

“That’s right,” the servant said cautiously, “In the prison, many people have been suffering from watery eyes due to the thick smoke, and some have even temporarily lost their sight. And… our general’s eyes have also been irritated, but what’s more serious for him is his throat. I heard that he has completely lost his voice.”

Upon hearing the servant's report, a look of wild joy instantly flashed in Old Madam Huo's eyes!

this……

This is exactly what the people around His Majesty told her before!

It seems His Majesty made the move! And... he succeeded!

Very good!