vrcanaries Chapter 1470 The Well
Chapter 1470 The Well
The remaining poisonous herbs must be retrieved overnight and completely destroyed, so that there will be no evidence against them.
Once the physical evidence is gone, even if Zhan Miao makes baseless accusations, he cannot be convicted.
"Get the men ready," Zhou Chongshan gritted his teeth. "Come with me to the old well in the west city, take out everything else, and burn it all!"
He dared not delay, changed into black clothes, and led seven or eight trusted guards, taking advantage of the night to quietly sneak towards the old well in the west city.
It was late at night, and all around was quiet and pitch black.
The old well was deserted, as if it had long been asleep.
Zhou Chongshan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking there was still time. He waved to his men, "Quickly, go down and dig out everything that's left in the mud. Be quick!"
Several guards immediately grabbed ropes and slid down, frantically digging at the bottom of the well.
Just then!
"Splash splash splash!"
Countless torches suddenly lit up, sweeping in from all directions and illuminating the entire alleyway.
Flames soared into the sky, and figures thronged the area.
Zhan Miao, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, stood in the center of the torch, his face cold and his eyes sharp as knives, fixed on Zhou Chongshan by the well.
“Deputy City Lord Zhou, coming here so late at night, instead of sleeping peacefully in your residence, you’ve come to dig something out of this ominous well—are you so afraid that I’ll find out the truth?”
Zhou Chongshan froze, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He turned around abruptly, looked at the densely packed guards who had already laid an ambush around him, and finally realized what was happening.
They fell for the trap.
This was not an accidental discovery at all; it was a deadly trap set for him by Zhan Miao!
From announcing the news to luring him out late at night, every step was part of her plan.
"Take it!"
Zhan Miao gave the order.
The guards swarmed forward, their blades flashing, and surrounded Zhou Chongshan and his group.
The guards tried to resist, but were instantly subdued, with swords at their necks, unable to move.
Zhou Chongshan's face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He couldn't understand how, after a month of meticulous planning, he could be completely outmaneuvered and defeated by a young woman in just one day and one night.
Zhan Miao slowly walked forward, looking down at Zhou Chongshan who was being pinned to the ground, his voice icy cold:
“Zhou Chongshan, you threw poisonous plants into the well to poison the people of Xicheng, created a false impression of an epidemic, spread rumors and caused chaos in Jingcheng, and attempted to seize power and usurp the throne. Do you know your crime?”
"I didn't!" Zhou Chongshan roared, still struggling in his death throes. "You're making false accusations! You've framed me! I won't accept this!"
"Not convinced?" Zhan Miao sneered and raised his hand in a gesture.
The guards immediately threw the remaining poisonous herbs they had dug out from the bottom of the well, as well as the deputy city lord's exclusive token found on the guards, in front of him.
"The witnesses and physical evidence are all there. Are you still trying to deny it?"
Zhou Chongshan looked at the irrefutable evidence before him, his face ashen, and he could no longer utter a word.
Zhan Miao stopped looking at him and coldly ordered, "Take him away and keep him under strict guard. No one is allowed to contact him. Tomorrow at noon, on the city wall, he will be publicly tried!"
The next day, before dawn, Jingcheng was already in an uproar.
The news that Zhou Chongshan had been arrested late at night at Laojing quietly spread throughout the streets and alleys.
Some couldn't believe it, some suddenly realized, and some wept bitterly.
Those who had lost loved ones felt utterly ironic and disgusted when they recalled Zhou Chongshan's hypocritical attempts to appease them over the past month.
At noon, the area beneath the city gate tower in front of the city lord's mansion was already packed with people.
Almost the entire city turned out, crowding the area so densely that no one could move, all eyes fixed on the high platform.
Zhan Miao, dressed in plain clothes, stood in the center.
Mo Ziyu, a small figure, stood beside her, his expression solemn. Princess Youyi stood to the side, her gaze resolute.
Zhou Chongshan, chained up and looking disheveled, was placed at the front, dejected and no longer displaying any of his former swagger.
Zhan Miao raised his hand, silencing the noise of the entire room; his clear voice carried to every corner.
"Dear elders of Jingcheng, the three-day agreement has been fulfilled today."
She first had people display the rotten bone poisonous herb, the old well sample, the deputy city lord's token, and the personal guard's confession in front of everyone. Each piece of evidence was explained clearly to the public by the physician.
"The so-called epidemic in Xicheng over the past month is not caused by any plague god, nor is it a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster orchestrated by Zhou Chongshan alone!"
"In order to seize power in Jingcheng, he took advantage of the young city lord's youth and our new arrival to secretly poison innocent people, kill them, and then spread rumors to smear me, forcing me to leave and causing internal strife among you!"
"He treats your lives like dirt, Jingcheng like his private property, and the laws of heaven and the king as nothing!"
Every word struck the hearts of the people with heavy weight.
After the deathly silence came a surge of anger and cries that rose to the sky.
"Zhou Chongshan! You heartless beast!"
"You poisoned my entire family of five!"
"Kill him! Avenge our loved ones!"
"Tear him to pieces! To appease public anger!"
The roar was deafening, and the crowd was filled with righteous indignation.
Zhou Chongshan was so frightened by the people's anger that he trembled all over and collapsed to the ground, powerless to resist.
Zhan Miao raised his hand, lowered his voice again, and stared at Zhou Chongshan with eyes like knives.
“Three days ago, I made a pact here that if I break this agreement, I will make sure that those who spread rumors and cause trouble in Jingcheng are torn to pieces to appease public anger.”
"Today, I, Zhan Miao, fulfill my promise."
She turned to face the entire city and proclaimed loudly:
"Zhou Chongshan, poisoned and murdered, brought disaster to the country and its people, plotted to usurp power, his crimes are heinous and heinous. According to the law, he should be beheaded! Execute him immediately to comfort the soul of the deceased in heaven!"
"it is good!!!"
Cheers, shouts, and applause resounded through the sky.
The guards stepped forward and dragged Zhou Chongshan, whose face was ashen, away.
Shortly afterward, an execution announcement was heard in the distance.
Zhou Chongshan was executed.
The truth about the "epidemic" that had plagued Jingcheng for a month has finally come to light.
The people finally understood who was protecting them and who was harming them.
Someone shouted first, "Miss Zhan is so kind and righteous! Save Jingcheng!"
Then came the second and third sounds.
"Miss Zhan is wise!"
"Young City Lord is wise!"
"We won't leave! We believe in you!"
The shouts grew louder and louder, from a few scattered voices to a city-wide chorus, so loud that even the city walls trembled slightly.
Zhan Miao stood on the high platform, looking down at the faces below that had turned from despair to hope. He felt no pride, only a deep sense of calm.
Three days.
She won her bet.
They won the hearts of the people, foiled the conspiracy, caught the real culprit, and protected Jingcheng.
Sunlight streamed down, falling upon her and coating her with a dazzling glow.
Mo Ziyu looked up at Zhan Miao beside her, her little face full of admiration and determination.
Princess Youyi smiled gently, her eyes no longer showing any worry.
The sky over Jingcheng, which had been overcast for a month, finally cleared up completely at this moment.
Zhan Miao knew that this was not the end.
This is just the beginning of her protecting this city and the people around her.
From this day forward, as long as she remains in power, she will never allow anyone to use the lives of ordinary people as pawns in the struggle for power.
With Zhou Chongshan brought to justice, the injustice suffered by Jingcheng was redressed, and the gloom that had gripped the city was swept away.
In just three days, the streets and alleys of the city became lively again. There were no longer mourners in front of the clinics, and no more panic-buying crowds in front of the grain shops. The old well in the west of the city was cleaned and put back into use, with clear water reflecting the long-lost peace.