Chapter 94 She wouldn't doubt him
In the center of the town stood a high altar for worshipping the gods, with banners fluttering powerfully around it. On the altar were many sacrificial offerings, including meat, fruit, and pastries.
In times of chaos and famine, sacrifices to the gods remained a significant event, demonstrating that people valued the gods more than simply obtaining food.
Not to mention, the people were all dressed very well today. Although their faces were pale and wan, and their veils still covered most of their faces, the only eyes that were visible sincerely revealed their respect for the gods, as well as their intense expectation and desire for survival.
They yearn for divine forgiveness and a cure.
Shen Jizhao plucked the rare flower, which they believed meant that the gods had forgiven them.
Suddenly, a storm arose, with howling winds and eerie gusts sweeping in, each one carrying a bone-chilling cold.
The man on the city gate had his clothes fluttering in the wind, revealing his tall, muscular frame with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
His chest remained straight, his back upright, and even in the swift, fierce wind, he remained unmoved and steadfast, fully displaying the composure and imposing presence of an emperor.
All the sudden evil winds dared not act recklessly, gradually reducing their attacks, and they covered their buttocks as they walked around him.
Even the wind fears him.
It seems that he has the ability to dominate and control anything in the universe if he so desires.
Shen Jizhao stood atop the towering city gate, which seemed to lift up from the ground, looking down upon the masses who were like ants.
He remained unmoved as he watched the people prostrate at his feet, holding up bowls of medicine with utmost devotion, pleading for the life-saving medicine.
He saw hope, excitement, and gratitude in their eyes.
Yes, he lived up to expectations and obtained the Nine Immortal Fish Scale Flower, and the antidote that could save countless lives.
The people below were overjoyed, their eyes filled not only with hope of salvation but also with contempt and anger.
He despised the dog father who had just slandered Shen Jizhao for abandoning the city and fleeing, and angrily denounced his foul mouth for spreading rumors.
In an instant, the people attacked him en masse, their spittle and stares nearly drowning him.
The dog's father's eyes were vacant. Why? Why didn't he go pick the flowers sooner!
He said, "How could a prince as powerful as him not be able to save his dog?"
His poor dog died so tragically; he felt so much hatred.
His eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tightly. He should have gone with his wife and children, but he was unwilling. If he went, who would avenge them? Who would comfort their unfulfilled grief?
He'll definitely drag someone down with him! He'll make sure his dog dies with him!
The gazes below the city gate were mixed, yet they were all taken in by Shen Jizhao on the high platform.
Shen Jizhao withdrew his gaze, then lowered his eyes to look at the flower in his hand that was blooming in full glory.
Half of it was frozen solid by layers of frost and snow; even in its frozen slumber, its splendor could not be concealed.
Half of the petals, covered by dewdrops melted from the ice and snow, seemed to pulsate with life-giving fluids, pure and innocent, brimming with vitality.
This truly is a flower of hope.
As he watched, his hand inexplicably reached out and pinched.
Jiang Shuifu woke up in bed, put on her shoes and went out. When she reached the city gate, her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.
The scene before me is unreal and unbelievable.
She could only rub her eyes to chase away these strange things, and she slowly woke up, her vision gradually clearing.
But in the next instant, that strange feeling surged up again. At that moment, she felt as if she were in a boundless sea, with wave after wave crashing down on her and sweeping over her with overwhelming force, instantly tumbling her high into the air and slamming her down.
The kneeling people raised their heads and saw that the scene before them was also being violently churned. They were being tossed about by the fierce waves and sprays on the sea surface, making them dizzy and disoriented. They were falling into the deep sea and unable to breathe.
They could no longer maintain their balance and swayed precariously, staggering unsteadily.
What is the Crown Prince, whom they respect so much, doing?
They shook their heads in disbelief, clearing their eyes.
They weren't mistaken!
The Crown Prince, whom they admired and revered, actually pinched the blue petals with two fingers and killed them all!
Not only did they strangle him, they crushed him!
With a squeeze and rub of the knuckles, all the petals were crushed into dust in an instant!
The unusual, life-saving juice leaked entirely from between his fingers, falling to the ground without a single drop left.
It fell onto the dirty ground, and with a gust of wind, it dispersed layer by layer, disappearing completely and utterly from the world.
He destroyed the flower that offered the antidote!
They destroyed their hopes, destroyed their desires, destroyed their lives!
Everyone was stunned, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets. They couldn't believe what they were seeing, they couldn't believe that the man who had extinguished their hopes was His Highness the Crown Prince!
Even Dog's father, who hated Shen Jizhao to the core, didn't know what he intended to do.
The people raised questions, asking Shen Jizhao why he was doing this, and whether he was trying to save them.
The whole town was in an uproar, and the whole town was in an uproar.
The man atop the city gate remained silent and indifferent, offering no response whatsoever, as if no question could penetrate his ears or his heart.
Yes, what was once an inquiry has now turned into an interrogation.
"Why did you destroy our antidote? Why did you destroy our last hope? Do you want us to die without the cure?"
"You have to give us an explanation! Are you saving us or harming us?"
“You used to say that the sky was the sky and the earth was the earth, and we trusted you so much that we never dared to disobey you. Is this how you betrayed our trust? Do you know that the price you paid for doing this was the lives of all of us!”
The people's attempts to make amends for his actions could not last long, and the fear of losing their lives quickly took over.
They instinctively began to doubt him, question him, and interrogate him.
The voices of anger grew louder and louder; once public anger is ignited, it is not easily quelled.
They all wanted an answer, an answer that could save them.
But Shen Jizhao remained silent, only watching them roar helplessly.
Jiang Shuifu, standing below the city gate, was utterly shocked. She looked up and stared intently at Shen Jizhao, who was looking down at them from the high platform.
He was a born ruler, but he was not one who exploited the people and made them suffer, nor was he an evil tyrant who indiscriminately killed. How could he be someone who gave hope and then destroyed it in front of a crowd of suffering people?
He's not that kind of person.
Although he is cold-hearted, he is definitely not a bad person.
Although she was no longer his wife, she could not deny his character in treating his people.
Therefore, she didn't doubt him, but rather found him strange.
It's strange that he did this.
She stared at him without moving, while the superior in the distance also met her gaze, only to have it vanish in the next instant.
With just one glance, his eyes were icy cold, devoid of any of the tenderness he had shown her before, nor any sorrow or pity for the hardships of the people.
It was as if he had suddenly become a different person.
She leaned forward, about to go and ask him for clarification.
However, a sudden loud noise was heard in the sky, and another strange phenomenon occurred.
The clouds rolled in, a dark, oppressive mass. It wasn't just dark clouds pressing down on the city; on the other half of the sky, crimson clouds gathered. The Chi You banner had arrived again, clashing with the inky black clouds. The two sides gradually drew closer, neither willing to back down, their tension palpable, determined to determine who would prevail.
Looking up, the clear blue sky was gradually covered and enveloped by these strange phenomena, and the golden beams of sunlight gradually turned into dim wisps of light.
In the end, the entire town was obscured by two equally matched black and red clouds, and the sun never shone through.
The people stared wide-eyed in utter shock!
This celestial phenomenon is truly astonishing! Truly terrifying! Truly chilling!
At this moment, Dog's father jumped out and angrily denounced the people for their ignorance and foolishness:
"Can't you see it yet? Do you still want to continue to believe in and praise this treacherous, heartless, and cold-blooded prince? This is the wrath of the gods! Some have abandoned their people and their cities, some have sacrificed themselves to the gods and fled, showing no respect for the gods, and even destroyed the rare flower in front of the gods! If you remain obstinate, the gods will not let you off!"
These words immediately shattered people's hearts; their chests pounded wildly, and their initial unease turned into utter fear and indignation.
Below the city gates stood a densely packed crowd of people. The crowd began to stir, and someone took the lead, smashing a medicine bowl in a fit of rage.
"The Crown Prince is the hope of the nation! He is the future livelihood of millions of people! But you, I'm afraid you've long been plotting to abandon our lives and flee the city. Your life is precious! The lives of us lowly commoners are cheap and worthless, not worth cherishing! You are not worthy to be the Crown Prince at all! We were blind before! From this day forward, you are no longer the Crown Prince we admire! You deserve to be beaten by everyone!"
"Yes! That's right! You don't deserve to be the crown prince, you are not our crown prince! We don't recognize you! You tricked us into finding the antidote, and then you destroyed it with your own hands! You are utterly heartless! You don't deserve to be human!"
"That was our life-saving medicine! I never imagined you were such a vicious and cruel person who disregards human life! You're utterly two-faced and heartless! You even abandoned the promised sacrifice to the gods! All the oaths you made before the gods are null and void! You've even fooled the gods!"
His words were never finished; they were followed by countless angry and condemnatory remarks against him.
In a short span of time, the person who was attacked by the masses became Shen Jizhao, the Crown Prince who was once the most trusted and beloved by the people! He became the hope for saving the people's livelihood that the people used to talk about with smiles of pride!
Countless attacks rained down on the man on the high platform!
The insults and abuse were endless, each person uttering a single sentence. Their vicious glares alone could kill. There was no doubt that if given the chance, they would actually attack Shen Jizhao.
Jiang Shuifu, standing to the side, was incredulous. What was wrong with him? Why was he going back on his word? He was so perceptive; how could he not know the consequences of his betrayal?
She stared straight at him, waiting for his explanation.
However, the man on the city gate simply watched them with furious glares and spittle flying, listening to their raging condemnations and rants, unmoved at all. Even if they caused a huge uproar, he would only give them a cursory glance.
At this moment, the people, exhausted from their campaign, were filled with rage, their veins bulging, and they raised their fists, shouting fiercely:
“All my suffering brothers and sisters, young and old, if he won’t save us, we’ll break out together! We should have saved ourselves long ago!”
These words were like a candle in the darkness, igniting a fire in everyone's hearts.
Yes! They have to save themselves! They have to live! They have to break free!
The heartless and unjust crown prince won't save them, but they can't give up on themselves!
"Crack! Crack!"
In an instant, the entire street was filled with the neat, crisp sound of bowls being smashed, which was extremely shocking.
It was as if they had shared the same stance and made the same vow.
Everyone's medicine bowls were smashed and shattered, leaving tiny shards of porcelain scattered all over the street. The flying shards pierced their flesh, yet they felt no pain whatsoever.
His eyes and heart were filled only with determination and ruthlessness to break free.
The medicine bowl, a symbol of trust and pleading for help, was smashed, replaced by endless anger, rage, and a firm determination to redeem oneself.
"Charge!"
Jiang Shuifu was still in a daze, unaware that the riot had already begun. In an instant, countless people were jostling and pushing her, and for some reason, she felt completely powerless.
How ruthless these people who were fighting for their lives were! One after another, they bumped into her, and in just a few breaths, her legs went weak and she was about to fall.
With that fall, she was met with a merciless trampling, and her life was over.
She tried her best to steady herself, but she was no match for the surging crowd. Her body slumped lower and lower, and she was about to fall to the ground.
At that moment, a large hand rested on her waist, and her eyes gleamed almost imperceptibly as she looked back.
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Author's Note: I entered a 1500-word room today, but after finishing, it still wasn't over! Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a 1500-minute room! I'm terrified; it'll take me a whole day and night to write! [frightened]
The male lead isn't in a terrible situation yet, but things will get increasingly dire starting in the next chapter, which will also feature more romance.
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