Chapter 264 Huo Yunting's Identity
Chu Jichen... has arrived.
Moreover, he came all by himself, operating a wheelchair all by himself.
Hearing Huo Yunting's nonchalant words, Shen Qingci's heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, instantly clenching!
How dare he?
He is no longer the regent of the past, but the supreme ruler, the Son of Heaven of the Great Zhou!
Since Huo Yunting dared to set up such a grand scheme, how could he have been completely unprepared?
There are countless axemen lying in ambush around here, and countless traps laid out!
How could he... come all alone?
Huo Yunting seemed to see through her thoughts, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. In his unfathomable eyes, there was a hint of inexplicable approval.
“Your taste in men wasn’t very good before; you ended up with someone like Huo Yunzhan.” He looked at her and said slowly, “This time, it seems… you’ve chosen the right person.”
"I never expected that Chu Jichen would go to such lengths for you."
Shen Qingci abruptly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed her surging emotions.
Upon seeing this, Huo Yunting stepped forward and creaked open the dilapidated woodshed door.
The cool moonlight poured in instantly, dispelling the darkness inside the room. Shen Qingci was finally able to see the scene outside clearly.
This place seems to be a desolate wilderness outside the imperial city. The surrounding area is flat and empty except for sparse vegetation; there is almost nowhere to hide.
On that open grassland, a familiar figure was alone, maneuvering a wheelchair, slowly but with unwavering determination, heading this way.
As if noticing the open door, Chu Jichen slowly raised his head.
Despite the vast distance, his gaze, with unparalleled precision, pierced through the deep night and met Shen Qingci's eyes in the air.
In that instant, Shen Qingci felt as if her heart had been violently struck!
He saw her, but there was no panic on his face. In fact, a gentle, reassuring smile even appeared in his deep phoenix eyes.
It was as if it was telling her—don't be afraid, I'm here.
Shen Qingci's eyes instantly reddened!
She bit her lip hard, and with all her might, she screamed at the approaching figure, "Go back! Chu Jichen! Go back!"
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunting chuckled softly.
“Your Majesty,” he said with a half-smile, “isn’t this a bit too much of a precaution?”
"I... I only wanted to invite His Majesty the new emperor to discuss a cooperation. How could you send him back?"
“If he really leaves,” his voice carried a chilling threat, “then you… you’ll probably only have death on your side.”
cooperate?
Shen Qingci turned her head sharply, her clear phoenix eyes fixed on Huo Yunting. What exactly was this man planning?!
Chu Jichen ultimately ignored her words and approached her step by step.
When Chu Jichen saw Huo Yunting's face, which was exactly the same as Huo Yunzhan's, his eyes changed slightly, but like Shen Qingci, he quickly realized what was going on.
"My lord," he said calmly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, "what are you trying to do? Didn't the Empress and I just kill Huo Yunzhan for you, avenging your death? Is your current action perhaps... an attempt to repay kindness with enmity?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Yunting burst into laughter: "Your Majesty and the Empress are truly of one mind; even their words are exactly the same."
"I had no choice but to do this." Huo Yunting's smile faded, and his expression became serious. "I just wanted to negotiate a deal with His Majesty. But I didn't have enough bargaining chips, so I had to resort to this tactic."
“Before,” a barely perceptible hint of regret flashed in his eyes, “I originally intended to use Emperor Yongming as a bargaining chip. Unfortunately… Her Majesty the Empress acted too quickly, disrupting all my plans.”
Shen Qingci's brows furrowed tightly!
Using Emperor Yongming as a bargaining chip?
Huo Yunting... how could he be so arrogant? Does he really think he can easily control Emperor Yongming?
Where does his confidence come from?
While Shen Qingci's mind was still racing, Chu Jichen had already narrowed his eyes, looking as if he had suddenly realized something.
“Actually,” he said slowly, looking at Huo Yunting, “if you want to negotiate with me, you don’t have to… kidnap my empress.”
His gaze became sharp and profound, as if he could see through everything.
"I don't know... should I address you as Marquis Yongning, or..."
He paused, then said, slowly and deliberately:
"Commander Huo...?"
"My lord, you must be the commander of the secret guards that the late emperor left to Emperor Yongming, right?"
Shen Qingci's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with disbelief and horror!
Huo Yunting... was the commander of the secret guards left by the late emperor to Emperor Yongming?
This thought, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky, struck her mind hard, making her instantly feel that it was utterly absurd!
Can……
But once she accepted this seemingly unbelievable premise, the mysteries that had been troubling her all along, like a fog, suddenly became clear at that moment!
She finally understood!
I understand why, despite Huo Yunzhan's superior performance in public and his mastery of both literary and military skills, the late emperor bestowed the hereditary title of Marquis of Yongning upon Huo Yunting, who appeared weak and had no military achievements.
This is also the source of Huo Yunzhan's greatest resentment and bitterness!
It turns out that it wasn't favoritism at all, but... compensation! It was the late emperor's compensation to him, the shadowy commander of the secret guards!
She finally understood why that old fox Liu Wenyuan would rather go to great lengths and choose to cooperate with the ambitious but shallow-founded Huo Yunzhan than join forces with his rightful son-in-law, Marquis Yongning Huo Yunting!
Because their paths diverge, they cannot work together! Huo Yunting is loyal to the Chu imperial power, while Liu Wenyuan covets this supreme imperial power!
She understood even more why Huo Yunzhan had set up such a foolproof trap at the border, and even after she had personally confirmed his death, he... was still able to come back to life and appear here unharmed!
Because he was not alone at all! Behind him stood a loyal and unfathomably powerful royal guard!
That's why he was able to abduct her without anyone noticing, even under the heavy guard of Yuanbao, Yelan, and other top experts!
Most importantly...
Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat!
She finally understood the source of his confidence and assurance when he said, "I originally intended to use Emperor Yongming as a bargaining chip!"
If... if she hadn't decisively killed Emperor Yongming, then following the normal trajectory, Emperor Yongming, driven to the brink, would have certainly tried every means to contact his last trump card for survival—Huo Yunting and his secret guards!
At that time, Huo Yunting will be able to legitimately "rescue" Emperor Yongming from the palace and use the emperor to command the feudal lords!
At that time, he will hold the most legitimate bargaining chip in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty! Whether used to deal with Chu Jichen or to restrain Liu Wenyuan, it will be a... fatal blow!
What a brilliant move to undermine their advantage! What a far-sighted and shrewd Huo Yunting!
Shen Qingci felt a chill run through her body.
Believing she had been reborn, she joined forces with Chu Jichen to manipulate everyone. Little did she know, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! There was someone else, more cunning than she was, whose schemes were...far more far-reaching!
This person almost succeeded.
If she hadn't acted on a whim and personally killed Emperor Yongming, disrupting all his plans...
Shen Qingci slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Looking at the indifferent man in front of her, who seemed to have everything under control, the panic she felt from being kidnapped had long since vanished.
Instead, there was a sense of excitement from meeting a worthy opponent!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com