Chapter 249 She understood everything!

Old Madam Huo's movements suddenly froze!

She slowly, very slowly raised her head, her old eyes, already cloudy and murky, filled with endless fear and despair!

She looked at her son, who was already lifeless, at his unseeing eyes, filled with endless resentment and unwillingness...

"No...no...impossible..."

She muttered to herself, her voice filled with disbelief and horror!

She turned her head sharply and stared intently at Shen Qingci, who was standing quietly to the side with a cruel smile on his lips!

"It's you! You switched people! Didn't you?" she screamed hysterically, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty clearly already..."

Shen Qingci looked at her and smiled. The laughter was clear and melodious, yet it was like a ghostly whisper, slowly entering her ears.

"His Majesty?"

"Is the old lady referring to His Majesty, who has been deprived of regency for many years?"

"Why would he save Huo Yunzhan? Huo Yunzhan's death was a deal between the Regent and His Majesty."

"With Huo Yunzhan dead, he will be able to regain control of the court. Why would he create unnecessary trouble and still want to save Huo Yunzhan?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Huo was struck dumb!

She finally... understood everything!

From beginning to end!

From the fake "Eunuch Zhu" showing up at her door, to her "righteous act of turning against her own family," and then to the so-called "golden cicada shedding its shell"...

All of this was a scheme set up by that bitch Shen Qingci!

She...she was completely fooled by this bitch!

She even... killed her only son with her own hands!

"ah--!"

A bloodcurdling scream shattered the deathly silence of the secret chamber!

Old Madam Huo suddenly turned around, her eyes bloodshot, looking like she had gone mad!

She snatched the still-dripping longsword from the ground and charged fiercely at Shen Qingci without hesitation!

I'm going to kill you!

Yuanbao launched a flying kick and slammed it hard into Old Madam Huo's chest!

Old Madam Huo's frail body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the cold ground!

She vomited a mouthful of blood with a "whoosh," but seemed to feel no pain at all!

She just stared intently at Shen Qingci, her old, cloudy eyes filled with a deep-seated hatred, muttering repeatedly, "I'm going to... kill you..."

Shen Qingci still had that smiling expression.

"Why would you kill me?" She looked at her, her eyes filled with endless mockery and pity. "Wasn't Huo Yunzhan's death the result of... Liu Ruolan, you, and me each stabbing him with a sword?"

"Even with one less sword," her voice was light and airy, yet every word was like a knife, "Huo Yunzhan won't die."

“You,” her voice was filled with madness and glee, “as his biological mother, you stabbed him with your own hand.”

“Guess,” she leaned closer, her voice like a ghostly whisper, “what was he thinking? How desperate must he have been?”

In Madam Huo's mind, a sudden "boom" flashed back to the image of Huo Yunzhan screaming in panic and terror.

At that time... she thought it was fake, that His Majesty had found a death row inmate to replace Huo Yunzhan, that the death row inmate was afraid, that the death row inmate felt pain!

But now that I think about it...

His eyes were clearly filled with unbelievable despair!

He was asking her! Asking her, his own mother! Why would she do such a cruel thing to him?!

Old Madam Huo felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing her heart, and she was almost going crazy!

She clenched her teeth tightly, sometimes screaming "Zhan'er" in a shrill voice, sometimes screaming hysterically that she wanted to kill Shen Qingci, and sometimes holding her head and begging Shen Qingci to kill her!

He looked completely insane.

Shen Qingci's eyes curved into a smile, her voice filled with cruel pleasure: "I won't kill you."

“Death,” her voice was icy and chilling, “what’s so difficult about it?”

"I have to keep you alive."

"I suffer the agonizing pain of killing my own son every day!"

She turned to Yuanbao and ordered in a deep voice, "Confirm one more time whether Huo Yunzhan is really dead. Then, change his clothes and send him to the Heavenly Prison."

“Just say,” she said with a hint of amusement, “that Huo Yunzhan… committed suicide out of guilt.”

"However, even though he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, he still needs to give everyone an explanation."

"Just drag his corpse over and behead him."

Yuanbao agreed, and then made a light but firm cut on Huo Yunzhan's neck.

“Since you’re going to fake a suicide out of guilt,” his voice was devoid of any warmth, “you should naturally make it look convincing.”

When Old Madam Huo saw the bloody scene before her, she felt dizzy and almost fainted on the spot!

Shen Qingci deliberately misinterpreted her meaning and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Madam. Although Huo Yunzhan is about to be taken away, you will still be able to see him again on the execution platform later."

“I will still take you with me so that you can see with your own eyes Huo Yunzhan being beheaded, his head separated from his body.”

Shen Qingci immediately ordered people to tie up the already dazed Old Madam Huo tightly, gag her with a rag, and drag her out and stuff her into the carriage!

Shen Qingci threw the filthy handkerchief in her hand on the ground with disgust and got into the carriage.

They arrived early and secured a prime spot among the crowd.

The time for the execution is fast approaching.

Chu Jichen suddenly lifted the carriage curtain.

Shen Qingci quickly stepped aside, slightly blocking Old Madam Huo's body, and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Chu Jichen glanced at the old woman in the corner who had long lost her soul, then had her wheelchair and all, lifted onto the carriage. He then smiled and said, "Such a grand show, this king... naturally has to come and see it."

“Moreover,” a cold glint flashed in his eyes, “the execution can only proceed smoothly with me here.”

Shen Qingci nodded. That's true. In terms of deterrence, Chu Jichen is the only one who can truly command respect.

The execution began quickly.

The executioner sat high behind the platform and loudly proclaimed: "The guilty subject Huo Yunzhan, though he has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, is guilty of heinous crimes that cannot be tolerated by the law! By order of His Majesty, the execution shall proceed as planned!"

Old Madam Huo was tightly bound to the corner of the carriage, her mouth stuffed with a strip of cloth, and could only let out desperate "woo-woo" sounds!

Her eyes widened as she stared intently at her son, who was already lifeless, on the execution platform!

Her body trembled violently, and her eyes were filled with despair!