Chapter 459: Chapter 44: The People’s Will Can Be Deceived

April 29, 2018

The night before the public trial meeting was destined to be a sleepless night for many people.

Late at night, the City Lord’s Mansion was still brightly lit, with a core team led by Temporary City Lord Zhao Hongwu working overtime, discussing the work for the next day, without a hint of sleepiness.

"Tomorrow’s sixth act is now eagerly anticipated by millions. If we use administrative force to interrupt it, it will only make us look guilty, and at this point, it’s likely to backfire. So, the people want the sixth act, and we’ll give them the sixth act, just tailored to suit our needs," Zhao Lingbo explained his plan earnestly. "From tonight’s situation, it’s not difficult to see that the public has a strong acceptance of theater. Everything is just a stage drama, yet many people resonate with it as if it were real. We should make full use of this and turn public sentiment to our advantage."

"Well said, this is a brilliant plan!" Zhao Hongwu praised on hearing this. "But how should the plot be designed? It not only needs to follow the storyline of the first five acts but also serve our purpose."

Zhao Lingbo replied, "I do have a preliminary plan."

Saying this, Zhao Lingbo seriously took out a stack of draft papers.

"I’m not a professional creator; this is just a rough draft, to inspire better ideas."

The Zhao Brothers, of course, knew such words were purely strategic posturing and took the draft papers to read seriously.

Zhao Lingbo wrote this story: Following the end of the fifth act, Li Wanqing sets out alone to Golden Jade City to rescue the distressed Li Chaolu.

However, during her journey, she encounters numerous mysterious obstacles. Through a few strokes of luck, Li Wanqing finally emerges from the mountains and arrives at Golden Jade City.

Upon reaching Golden Jade City, she discovers the entire city adorned with lanterns and decorations, full of cheer, as if celebrating some major festival. After asking passersby, she finds out it is the City Lord’s wedding! The partner is Zhao Bo, a childhood friend who knew the City Lord for many years, and although unremarkable, devoted wholeheartedly to her.

Li Wanqing finds it hard to believe that in just a few days, her loved one is about to marry someone else. Under the cover of night, she sneaks into the City Lord’s Mansion, overcoming numerous difficulties to finally confront Li Chaolu face-to-face.

Li Chaolu states that the marriage is real, and indeed she hasn’t encountered any life-threatening situations. The reason for not returning to the mountains is that she’s bored with playing house.

To her, Li Wanqing is not a family member, merely a plaything. Those so-called real feelings over the years were nothing but her deliberately teasing the other’s emotions.

For Li Wanqing, she never had a trace of affection; instead, the more devoted the other’s feelings became, the more she felt weary.

"I thought you would quietly wait for me in the mountains until you died. I never expected you to be so bold, to venture out on your own. I remember telling you, the outside world is scary. Now, have you felt it?"

Reading this line of dialogue, the Zhao Brothers felt a chill simultaneously.

This plot is too dark, isn’t it? It’s pitch black! Is this genuinely a musical with love as its theme? Nonetheless, seeing Zhao Lingbo’s eager expression waiting for praise, Zhao Hongwu still forced a smile and said, "The script is indeed quite thrilling."

Zhao Lingbo laughed, "You’re too kind. I just want to showcase the fickle nature of love and Zhao Chenlu’s unfeeling essence. After seeing such a storyline, those who still hold fantasies about her should lose hope. However, the manuscript is still immature, and if there are any inappropriate parts, I hope the two of you will point them out." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Zhao Hongwu said, "Let’s study and understand it further... Oh, and although the focus is on united strength tomorrow, the Broken Moon Sword Array remains an important alternative Array, so please make sure to examine it carefully."

"Alright," Zhao Lingbo nodded, his form transforming into a clear spring and leaving.

Leaving the Zhao Brothers to start diligently revising the script.

Such a blackened, pathological script by Zhao Lingbo certainly cannot be used. Their new regime is in its infancy, needing the people to be positive and looking forward to a bright future, so how could they instill such negative energy right from the start? If the people, after watching it, lose faith in love and hence each becomes solitary, never marrying or reproducing, what happens to the population dividend then?

In Zhao Chenlu’s era, massive development of the Golden Jade economy and generous welfare for the whole city posed an extremely serious burden on successors. Without Zhao Chenlu’s skill to turn stone into gold, to maintain welfare would mean higher taxes, requiring a sufficient and constant supply of young labor from Golden Jade City, meaning continuous reproduction from the people, thus the fantasy of love must not be shattered! Such dark stories absolutely cannot be staged!

The script must change, a big change, altered to be positive and sunny, so that audiences watching can’t help but go home and have children!

Given that the protagonist of this play is the present-day great criminal of Golden Jade City, Zhao Chenlu, with no way to fully vindicate her, the two racked their brains and revised the plot as follows:

Li Wanqing came from the mountains to Golden Jade City, only to find the city in chaos. Upon inquiring, an old man told her that the City Lord had been suppressed by a rebellion among her subordinates.

Upon further inquiry, the passer-by told her that over the many years, the City Lord of Golden Jade City had committed numerous crimes, particularly for selfish purposes, disregarding major matters, disrespecting traditions and elders, and being arrogant... These repeatedly provoked heaven’s wrath, causing betrayal and alienation.

Li Wanqing refused to believe that someone with whom she had been truly in love for so many years could have committed so many excessive acts.

However, the old man soon led Li Wanqing through the city to see for herself the solid evidence of many years of crimes committed by the City Lord. Especially the victims, whose lives were wrecked due to a single sentence by Li Wanqing, deeply moved her with their personal experiences, revealing the true face of Li Chaolu to her.

Perhaps in a private family setting, she was a nearly perfect lover, but as a City Lord, she was an out-and-out tyrant.

Although she saved a couple of people, she harmed thousands, leaving many couples in tragic situations. Such a person was bound to face unified opposition from everyone.

Looking at the various victims in front of her, Li Wanqing thought back to her childhood experiences—those harsh and vicious elders who were kind and gentle to their own children. She came to a complete understanding, realizing she couldn’t indulge in a personal world and should raise her ideological awareness to view everything from a higher level.

At the same time, the elderly man also stated that at present, there was no plan to kill the former City Lord, as she had made significant contributions to Golden Jade City. Thus, they only planned to imprison her indefinitely. However, the problem now was that, even so, many ignorant masses, confused by her past performances, intended to release her to regain control of Golden Jade City.

But that would be a disaster for Golden Jade City. Hence, the temporary government decided to hold a public trial, so that everyone could recognize the nature of the former City Lord. Right now, they needed enough people to step forward and expose her crimes.

This could not only unify the thoughts of Golden Jade’s people but also provide an opportunity for the former City Lord’s atonement and rebirth. As long as she could truly repent, they would welcome her back into the family of Golden Jade City...

Li Wanqing fell into deep thought. After a fierce ideological struggle, the noble side of her humanity overcame the selfish side. She decided to step forward and help her lover reform. Thus, at the public trial, she resolutely pointed out many issues related to her lover, expressing her deep love through righteous indignation.

The former City Lord, moved by her lover’s heartfelt confession, suddenly repented, tearfully begging the entire city for forgiveness. She expressed her willingness to seal herself in an underground prison until her sins were thoroughly cleansed, vowing not to come out.

At this moment, the old man who had once led Li Wanqing through the city suddenly appeared, revealing his true identity—none other than an Envoy from the Saint Sect. Witnessing the whole process, he expressed willingness to facilitate the former City Lord’s atonement. He created a flawlessly unbreakable Array to thoroughly suppress the former City Lord. Thereafter, in the name of the Saint Sect, he called upon the people of Golden Jade to unite closely around the new City Lord, right the wrongs, and build Golden Jade City into something much finer.

The entire city was greatly encouraged, with everyone expressing a firm determination to work tirelessly, so as not to disappoint this beautiful new era.

Finally, near her lover’s place of confinement, Li Wanqing built a bamboo room identical to that in the mountains, keeping vigil beside her lover daily, determined to wait until she comes out. When she looked up, she saw the bustling Golden Jade City in the distance, glorious under the sunlight...

Having finished writing the screenplay, the two brothers were nearly moved to tears.

Who would have thought they had such writing talent!

Previously suppressed by Zhao Chenlu, they had no choice but to indulge themselves in brothels and taverns, but now that her suppression of their intelligence was lifted, they could immediately welcome an outburst of inspiration!

This story, which combines great love and little love, has grandeur and righteousness, is full of positive energy without losing touch with reality. Who else could write such a story?

No one else!

This is definitely a masterpiece that only the brothers Hongwu and Hong Wen could write! With such literary skill, even if they did not become the City Lord of Golden Jade City, they could become masters of the literary world across Xiangzhou!

In short, with this story framework, they just needed a few more details, like explaining Zhao Xinyu as a disguise Li Wanqing used to conceal her identity, created with an exceptionally high-level Illusion Technique using the Immortal Treasure... Thus connecting it with reality, without worrying the ignorant populace would not be deceived!

After organizing the script, the brothers were full of morale, itching to immediately hold the public trial, present the script, and arouse the people to utterly crush Zhao Chenlu. However, considering the time was not yet dawn, waking up the entire city now would instantly turn their wishful strength into resentment, so they could only sit restlessly waiting for dawn.

Public trial, come quickly!