53: Chapter 53 A capital offense!

Lei Lie stood to the side, his brows furrowed, revealing a contemplative expression.

City Lord's words reminded him of something.

Just a short time ago, an epidemic had broken out in Flower City.

At the time, he believed that as long as someone fell ill, they would voluntarily come forward to report it or be reported by those around them.

After all, concealing the illness could harm the entire city.

For the benefit of everyone, no one would fail to follow this rule.

Even if it were their own family member who was sick, they would surely place righteousness above family.

He had always believed this to be the case.

But what was the reality?

The reality was that when Zhou Yun appeared, and when Zhou Yun produced the Spirit Medicine that could cure the epidemic... suddenly, many patients who had never been reported or discovered emerged.

They knew full well that concealing it was wrong.

They knew that doing so could harm the entire city.

Yet they still chose to conceal it.

Why?

Because those were their family members.

Because they could not bear to watch their own family members be expelled from the city and die in the wilderness.

Therefore, even knowing it was wrong, they chose the wrong course of action.

How similar is this to the two people kneeling in the court?

City Lord said, this is human nature.

Knowing what is right and what is wrong.

Yet insisting on doing the wrong thing.

Isn't this human nature?

And is human nature itself right or wrong?

Lei Lie fell into deep thought, for a moment not knowing how to respond.

...

Meanwhile, Zhou Yun's words continued.

"You indeed poisoned the well and did something wrong."

His voice was steady, yet carried an unquestionable power.

"But the root of the error, the root of the evil—"

"Lies with that Lord of Han City who kidnapped your families and incited you to do evil!"

His gaze became sharp.

"He is the true culprit."

"He is the one who truly deserves to be punished."

At this point, Wan'er suddenly stood out.

"City Lord."

Her voice was calm, but carried a rare firmness.

Zhou Yun looked at her: "Does Wan'er have something to say?"

Wan'er bowed deeply, then raised her head, her expression very serious.

"Perhaps City Lord believes that they are merely 'blades' borrowed by others to kill."

"And since a blade itself has no will, you believe they should be spared from the death penalty."

"Is that right?"

Zhou Yun did not answer, just looked at her quietly.

Wan'er continued:

"But City Lord, they are conscious human beings, not blades without a will!"

Her voice raised slightly, carrying a bit of agitation.

"They know what they are doing!"

"They know the consequences of doing so!"

"They were indeed trying to save their families, a point I do not deny."

"But City Lord—"

Her gaze fixed directly on Zhou Yun, she said word by word:

"The thing they were going to do was to kill all twelve thousand people in the city!"

"This is a great evil!"

"A truly great evil!"

She bowed deeply, all the way down.

"I implore City Lord to punish them severely!"

Wan'er's words were resonant, echoing in the court.

The citizens outside the court also nodded one after another, their anger reignited.

"Right! Lady Wan'er is right!"

"They know what they are doing!"

"Even if they had compelling reasons, they cannot be forgiven!"

"Kill them!"

Cries for their execution rang out again.

Lei Lie also suddenly snapped back to reality.

That's right!

Just now, he had almost been swayed by City Lord's words!

Wan'er was the one who was right!

It is true that they did it to save their families.

But they administered poison, intending to poison all twelve thousand subjects of the city, and that is also true!

No matter what the compelling reasons were, no matter who coerced them, their actions themselves were a great evil!

So Lei Lie hurriedly stepped forward, knelt on one knee, his voice urgent.

"City Lord!"

"Your benevolence is a blessing for Flower City, and a blessing for its subjects!"

"But this benevolence must absolutely not be applied to them!"

His tone became increasingly agitated.

"If evildoers discover that there is no cost to doing evil, they will become even more unscrupulous!"

"If you let them go today, tomorrow there will be more people imitating them!"

"By then, what dignity would Flower City's laws have left?"

"City Lord, please think thrice!"

Lei Lie spoke with genuine sincerity, every word and sentence for the sake of Flower City.

Wan'er stood to the side, her expression serious, clearly holding the same attitude.

Just then—an unexpected person stood out.

Minister Wang Fugui!

He walked slowly to the front of the hall, his expression rarely serious.

Everyone was stunned.

Minister Wang Fugui? Why did he come out too?

You have to know, although Minister Wang Fugui had changed a lot in his daily life, in many people's eyes, he was still that profit-seeking "Wang Half-City".

In such a matter of great right and wrong, he actually wants to get involved?

Minister Wang Fugui, however, ignored the gazes of the crowd, looked straight at Zhou Yun, and said in a deep voice:

"City Lord."

His voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear.

"What kind of person Minister Wang Fugui was before, you and many people present are probably all too clear about."

Inside and outside the court, there was silence.

That's right, who doesn't know Wang Half-City?

Hoarding goods, selling grain at high prices, a complete unscrupulous merchant!

Those accounts are all kept in everyone's hearts.

Minister Wang Fugui continued:

"Even now, there are quite a few people who think I deserve to die. Even I feel now... I was indeed quite a jerk before!"

His tone was calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

"But City Lord, in all fairness—"

He turned his head to look at Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu kneeling on the ground, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

"The things those two did are a thousand, ten thousand times more hateful than mine!"

Once these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Minister Wang Fugui actually took the initiative to compare himself?

"Although I, Minister Wang Fugui, love wealth and am greedy, and although I have done many wicked things..."

Minister Wang Fugui's voice trembled slightly, yet remained firm.

"But I have never directly taken a person's life!"

He turned sharply toward Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu, his voice suddenly rising.

"And them?"

"They actually wanted to kill all twelve thousand people in the city!"

"Twelve thousand lives!"

"How ruthless must one's heart be to be able to do such a thing?"

His voice echoed in the court, lingering for a long time.

Inside and outside the court, everyone was silent.

That's right... it concerns twelve thousand lives!

How could this kind of crime be forgiven?

Minister Wang Fugui took a deep breath, then with a "thump," knelt on the ground.

"I implore City Lord to behead them in public to serve as a warning to others!"

His voice was resonant.

"If this is not done, it will be difficult to appease the public anger!"

"If this is not done, it will be difficult to establish city rules!"

He knocked his head heavily, his forehead hitting the bluestone floor, making a dull sound.

Inside and outside the court, there was an uproar.

Everyone was shocked.

Even Minister Wang Fugui... even that once most selfish, most greedy Wang Half-City... knelt down to request the execution of these two people?

At this moment, no one questioned Minister Wang Fugui's intentions anymore.

Because every word he said was the truth.

"City Lord!"

"Please behead them publicly!"

"Kill them!"

...

The shouts outside the court rang out again, more uniform and more shocking than before.

Wan'er, Lei Lie, and Minister Wang Fugui, the three ministers, simultaneously stood out to implore Zhou Yun to punish them severely.

And behind them were the roars of tens of thousands of citizens.

Everyone was waiting for Zhou Yun's verdict.

...

Zhou Yun looked at all of this quietly.

His gaze swept over Wan'er, then over Lei Lie, and finally landed on Minister Wang Fugui.

Three people.

Three types of personalities.

Three positions.

Yet at this moment, they reached a consensus.

Zhou Yun slowly stood up.

Inside and outside the court, it instantly became quiet.

He looked at the three people in front of him and gently shook his head.

"Listening to what you mean..."

His voice was peaceful, yet carried a trace of helplessness.

"It seems you think I am going to let them go?"

Wan'er, Lei Lie, and Minister Wang Fugui were all stunned at the same time.

The citizens outside the court also showed expressions of surprise.

If not, then what?

Weren't those words you said just now meant to exonerate them?

Zhou Yun looked at everyone's expressions, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"I just wanted to say that their motives were understandable."

His voice was steady, word by word.

"But I never said that their actions could be forgiven."

Everyone was stunned.

Zhou Yun continued:

"Some mistakes can be corrected."

"Some mistakes, however, cannot be made up for."

His gaze turned to Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu kneeling below the hall, his eyes suddenly becoming sharp.

"They have already cast the poison into the well; this is a fact."

"Even if they hadn't finished poisoning it, even if it was discovered and stopped in time..."

"This action alone is already a path to death!"

"The crime is unforgivable!!"

His voice suddenly raised, exploding in the court like a thunderclap.

Liu Dashun and Sun Weiwu's bodies trembled violently.

Zhou Yun reached out and picked up the gavel, raising it high.

Inside and outside the court, there was not a sound.

"Clap!"

The gavel slammed heavily onto the table, the sound crisp and loud.

"Therefore, this City Lord now sentences you—"

"To the death penalty!"