Yuan Zhen stared intently at the jailer and indeed caught a fleeting look of panic on the latter's face.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, how could that be? How could we possibly poison the food? You're really joking," the young jailer said with a forced smile on his face. Hearing this, the middle - aged jailer also walked over and tried to excuse his comrade.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, please forgive him. He's new and not very good at speaking. If you're not hungry, just leave the food there."
Looking at the nervous expressions of the two jailers, Yuan Zhen suddenly smiled.
"I was just joking. Look how nervous you are."
Then, Yuan Zhen casually sat down at the square table and picked up the chopsticks on it.
Under the watchful eyes of the two jailers, he began to pick up some dishes and chew them carefully.
Noticing the two jailers quickly exchanging a look, Yuan Zhen pretended not to know and invited them.
"Don't just stand there watching. Sit down and eat with me!"
Yuan Zhen's smile was gentle, but the two jailers waved their hands hurriedly and immediately refused.
"We've already eaten. Your Highness the Third Prince, you can eat by yourself."
"We'll go out to get some fresh air. You can enjoy your meal slowly."
After saying that, they quickly excused themselves and walked out of the prison together.
Watching their departing backs, the gentle smile on Yuan Zhen's face was instantly replaced by a cold and fierce look. He quickly spat out the food in his mouth.
He originally wanted to pick up the wine pot on the table to rinse his mouth, but then he thought better of it and poured all the wine on the ground.
Then, he lifted the damp bedding on the couch, poured the food on the straw mat, and covered it with the bedding...
After a long time, when the two jailers came back, they saw Yuan Zhen lying on the table, foaming at the mouth and "unconscious".
"Wow, the poison given by the Empress Dowager is really extraordinary. It took effect so quickly!"
Yuan Zhen heard the footsteps approaching the cell slowly, and the voice of the young jailer came from outside the cell.
"Don't rush to get close. Let me check if he's dead first."
The middle - aged jailer stepped in front of the young jailer, drew out his long sword, walked to the cell door, and stabbed Yuan Zhen's arm through the iron bars.
Suddenly stabbed, Yuan Zhen's curled - up body tensed up sharply. He wanted to curse loudly in pain but gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.
He really regretted not choosing to lie in the bed. He got stabbed for no reason.
Just as Yuan Zhen was thinking this, another sword stabbed at him, which almost made him lose his temper and twist the other's head off!
However, thinking of his upcoming revenge, he bit his lip and still didn't react.
"It seems that he's really dead."
A sneaky smile flashed across the middle - aged jailer's eyes, but he concluded seriously.
The young jailer was also on the verge of bursting with excitement. He quickly straightened his expression.
"Then let's go in and confirm it. It's better to report to our superior."
Then, he took out the key in his hand and unlocked the iron chain on the cell door.
Just as the young jailer was about to step forward to check Yuan Zhen's breath, Yuan Zhen, who had been waiting for this moment, suddenly grabbed his arm and threw him out. He hit the wall in the cell and fainted!
"So useless!" Yuan Zhen sneered, his eyes burning with heavy killing intent.
"You're not dead? Guards! Yuan Zhen is trying to escape from prison..."
The middle - aged jailer was greatly shocked. Just as he was about to shout, Yuan Zhen suddenly gave him an elbow strike. He was thrown heavily to the ground. After fighting with Yuan Zhen for a few rounds with his sword, he was knocked unconscious by Yuan Zhen.
Yuan Zhen originally wanted to avenge the two sword stabs, but worried that the sound of the fight would attract more guards, so he gave up the idea of killing the jailer and fled in a hurry!
It was already late at night. The guards outside the cell were weak. Yuan Zhen was very agile and soon slipped past everyone's notice and successfully escaped.
He rushed straight to the Empress Dowager's bedroom!
After Yuan Zhen left, the two jailers who had been unconscious before woke up immediately. They tore off the human - skin masks on their faces and spat out a voice - changing pill each.
They were actually Yang Cheng and Zhan Feng, who had reported to Qi Rong before!
And the previous two jailers were also impersonated by them.
"Brother Yang, should we still follow him secretly?"
Zhan Feng quickly opened one of the cells and, together with Yang Cheng, dragged the two unconscious jailers to the square table and made them lie there.
"No need. From the jail of the Metropolitan Magistrate's Office to the Kunning Palace, there have always been people secretly watching. We just need to handle the situation here and wait and see what happens."
Yang Cheng picked up the wine pot and poured the wine on the two jailers. Immediately, the smell of wine filled the air, creating the appearance that the two were drunk and unconscious.
Except for Yuan Zhen who knew the truth, no one else knew what had happened in the jail.
I'm afraid that after tonight, Yuan Zhen won't have a chance to speak again!
Even if the emperor later investigated Liang Sheng, he could easily deal with it. He could just say that he had entertained the other person with good food and wine, but unexpectedly, the other person was too suspicious and escaped from prison!
As for what Yuan Zhen did later, he couldn't predict or control it!
After Yuan Zhen got out of the jail, he originally planned to rush to the Kunning Palace to take revenge. But seeing that he was empty - handed and his arm wound was hurting badly, he turned to a remote small courtyard in the capital.
This was the secret force that Ke Keqin had planted in the imperial city many years ago!
Seeing Yuan Zhen injured, they quickly bandaged his wound. Hearing that he wanted to go to the Kunning Palace to seek revenge at night, they immediately advised him to think twice.
Yuan Zhen was filled with anger at this moment. How could he listen to such advice?
Now he should still be locked up in the jail by the emperor. His identity was unclear. He couldn't directly return to Ke Keqin. Even if he did, he couldn't inherit the position of the Khan!
Because the emperor would surely be dissatisfied with his escaping from prison without permission, and his father would also hesitate. In that case, all the achievements he had painstakingly accumulated would be ruined, and he would have to give up the position of the Khan!
And his situation in Ke Keqin would also reverse. Those brothers and tribes that he had suppressed before would unite to deal with him!
The anger in his heart and the pain in his arm made Yuan Zhen extremely irritable. He had already lost his rationality. And all this was thanks to the Empress Dowager!
So he also decided to fight fire with fire and follow the Empress Dowager's example of taking a risky approach.
He thought to himself: Since the Empress Dowager was targeting him because of the Eighth Princess, why couldn't he use the Eighth Princess to deal with the Empress Dowager?
Anyway, he was going to die one way or another. Why not take a gamble?
Under Yuan Zhen's coercion, after the few hidden people of Ke Keqin in the capital sent a message by carrier pigeon to the Khan of Ke Keqin to explain the situation, they set off with Yuan Zhen.
Holding weapons, they quietly approached the Kunning Palace!
On weekdays, the Kunning Palace was always heavily guarded. The imperial guards were in layers, like an iron bucket.
However, a cry of "Fire!" immediately threw everyone in the Kunning Palace into a panic!
In the Kunning Palace, almost everyone focused on the sudden fire. The imperial guards also carried buckets and joined the palace servants in putting out the fire, thus ignoring a group of black shadows that had quietly sneaked into the Kunning Palace.