Chapter 240 You still think about her?
The night was as dark as ink, but the villa in the west of the city was still brightly lit, though the light was blocked by thick curtains, and from the outside, it appeared completely silent.
Shen Qingci and Chu Jichen had already quietly hidden themselves in a secret chamber on the second floor of the main house. Through the specially made glass window, they could see everything in the flower hall downstairs.
Not long after, Madam Huo's carriage arrived quietly.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Huo Yunzhan sitting upright in the main room, with guards in black armor standing guard both inside and outside the room.
A figure dressed as a eunuch stood guard outside the door; it was Yuanbao, who was disguised as "Eunuch Zhu".
As soon as he saw Madam Huo approaching, he immediately stepped forward, lowered his voice, and solemnly instructed, "Madam, the Regent and his wife are keeping a close eye on His Majesty. This place was hard for us to find, because this courtyard originally belonged to the Regent but had been vacant for many years, so no one would have thought that we would arrange your meeting with General Huo here."
“But,” he paused, his voice growing more urgent, “there are still some risks involved. If you have anything to say, you need to do it quickly.”
Old Madam Huo's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately stepped into the house without further delay.
"Zhan'er!" As soon as she entered the room, she immediately walked towards Huo Yunzhan, her voice filled with lingering fear and relief, "Thank goodness you're alright! You really... scared your mother to death!"
Huo Yunzhan, however, was not as excited as she had expected. Instead, he slowly raised his head, his sinister eyes filled with undisguised resentment and mockery.
“I heard,” he said coldly, “that Mother brought all of Father’s illegitimate sons back to the manor?”
"And he personally sentenced me in the Golden Hall?"
Old Madam Huo felt a pang of pain in her heart from his words, and her face instantly showed a look of "I also have my reasons."
"Zhan'er! You...you've misunderstood your mother!" She stepped forward, her voice filled with grievance and helplessness. "Everything your mother has done is for the Huo family! And for you too!"
"Think about it. Back then, you were already in Chu Jichen's hands, your life hanging in the balance! If I didn't sever ties with you and put on that show of sacrificing family for the greater good, wouldn't the entire Huo family be implicated?"
"Moreover," she changed the subject, shifting all responsibility, "originally, Mother hadn't intended to do this. It was...it was His Majesty! His Majesty sent someone to find me and made this deal with me! He made me cooperate and put on this show, and that's why Mother agreed!"
"Mother just wants to stabilize the Yongning Marquis's Mansion! She wants to wait until things settle down, so that when you return, the Yongning Marquis's Mansion... can still serve as your fallback and support!"
Seeing that Huo Yunzhan's expression had softened, Madam Huo took two steps forward and said with a touch of maternal concern, "His Majesty said that in order to avoid you being discovered by the Regent and Liu Wenyuan, you will be sent away for a while."
"I don't know when we'll see each other again."
"Let your mother... take a good look at you."
“You’ve all lost weight,” she said, her voice trembling with tears, “You’ve suffered so much in the prison.”
As she spoke, Old Madam Huo reached out and pulled Huo Yunzhan up and down, looking him over.
Seeing this, Shen Qingci, who was hiding in the secret chamber, couldn't help but chuckle softly. She leaned close to Chu Jichen's ear, lowered her voice, and whispered, "You see, luckily we brought out the real Huo Yunzhan."
"Old Madam Huo is definitely checking whether the son in front of her is real or fake. If he is fake, she will definitely be able to find out."
Sure enough, after carefully examining Huo Yunzhan, with her hands touching his face and arms, Old Madam Huo's expression finally showed a hint of eagerness.
She lowered her voice and asked urgently, "Has His Majesty revealed where he intends to send you? Can...can you tell me?"
Huo Yunzhan's thin lips pursed tightly: "His Majesty's men are right. Change my identity, send me to the army, and let me make good contributions."
Old Madam Huo's eyes lit up instantly!
She nodded emphatically, her voice full of anticipation: "Good! Good! But this time, you absolutely mustn't be impatient for quick success! You have to proceed steadily and surely!"
Then, she lowered her voice, her eyes gleaming with calculating cunning: "His Majesty has just assumed personal rule and needs close advisors by his side! Especially capable and valiant generals! This is your chance!"
"If you can win over some soldiers at the border and achieve some merit, you'll surely have a bright future when you return!"
"It's good to know where to go," her voice was full of relief. "Now, Mother knows where to look for hope."
Remembering "Grandpa Zhu's" instructions, Old Madam Huo dared not waste any more time.
She hurriedly took out a thick stack of silver notes from her sleeve, stuffed them into Huo Yunzhan's hand, and whispered, "Take good care of these! You'll need money everywhere once you leave the capital."
"Once things are settled, after a while, when the situation in the capital is a little more stable and there are fewer people watching our Yongning Marquis's residence, you can try to write a letter back. You can tell your mother what you need."
She muttered to herself, "Don't worry about anything in the manor. The title of Marquis of Yongning has been temporarily preserved. I've already decided on a successor; it will be the youngest child from that concubine's household."
"That wretched Jinxiu is wary of me. But that mistress is easier to control. When the time comes, Mother will find a way to get rid of her and keep the child. That way, the title will still be in our hands!"
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunzhan simply nodded, but a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.
Old Madam Huo took a deep breath, her voice filled with reluctance: "Time is short, and I can't say much more. If we're discovered, it would be a huge loss. After all this turmoil, as long as we can keep our lives, my son and I will have plenty of opportunities in the future!"
Just as Madam Huo was about to leave, Huo Yunzhan grabbed her wrist!
Huo Yunzhan gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with a terrifyingly sinister light!
He lowered his voice and said slowly and deliberately, "If His Majesty wins the struggle between His Majesty, the Regent, and Liu Wenyuan, and the Regent loses power, His Majesty... he will definitely not let the Regent live."
“When the time comes,” his voice was filled with deep-seated hatred, “Mother, please help me… keep an eye on Shen Qingci!”
"If the opportunity arises, we'll get our hands on him!"
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Huo's eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at him in disbelief: "You...you still care about her? Are you crazy?"
"Of course I've been thinking about her." Huo Yunzhan's eyes were filled with madness and resentment. "I'm where I am today because of her! I can't let this go unpunished!"
“Only by getting my hands on her,” his voice was incredibly sinister, “can I properly torture her and get my revenge!”
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