Chapter 2249: Chapter 2249: Seven-Day Deadline
Upon hearing this, Xuexue’s lips barely curled into a smile, and she immediately addressed the common people: "The Fourth Prince has promised a seven-day deadline, everyone, hurry and thank him."
The common people turned to the Fourth Prince and bowed in unison: "The grass-roots people thank the Fourth Prince!"
Only at this moment did the Fourth Prince realize he had been tricked by Xuexue. He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.
"Fourth Prince, how should the prisoners be handled?" a soldier who seemed to be the leader pursued closely, asking.
Over a hundred commoners afflicted by magic is no small matter. He dared not make decisions on his own.
As the Fourth Prince walked, he said: "Lock them all in prison and assign heavy troops to guard them strictly."
Leader soldier: "But we’ve received news from the prison that it’s almost full, and can’t accommodate so many afflicted people."
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince stopped, glared fiercely at the soldier with one eye, and cursed: "Are you brainless or what? Can’t you clean out the prison a bit? Let me tell you, these afflicted people are a hundred times, a thousand times more important than the ones inside the prison, understand?"
Scolded by the Fourth Prince, the soldier was scared out of his wits: "I understand, please calm down, Fourth Prince."
"Think before you act in the future. Stop bothering me with every little issue."
"Yes, yes."
"Hmph!"
The Fourth Prince coldly snorted, boarded the nearby carriage, and the carriage quickly drove away.
The afflicted people were also gradually escorted back to the prison by the government soldiers, guarded by heavy troops.
The common people dispersed, and a horrifying execution by fire ended without incident. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; even though those people lost their sanity, they were still lives. Moreover, so many of them being brutally burned to death would have been a great sin.
The common people were also conflicted; if they supported the government office in killing these people, there were over a thousand, both inside and outside the city. It would be a river of blood, bodies piled like mountains.
If they didn’t support them, they feared being infected and afflicted. Everyone was caught in a dilemma.
However, no matter what, the tragedy didn’t happen today, so at least they were relieved, as they were all kind, ordinary people.
Xuexue, along with Zi Xia, walked toward the sedan chair. With too many people earlier, the sedan chair couldn’t come over, so they walked over.
Zi Xia said worriedly: "Miss, with such a serious affliction issue, you were involved earlier. If something goes wrong, the Fourth Prince might blame it all on you; what should we do then?"
The Fourth Prince was despicable, shameless; it’s not surprising he would do such a thing. Zi Xia’s worry wasn’t unfounded.
Xuexue: "The situation was urgent earlier; to save those people, there wasn’t time to think so much."
Zi Xia: "Miss, if the Fourth Prince wants to act, let him act. Losing the people’s hearts will be the Royal Family’s matter, not ours at all."
Xuexue: "Although that’s what we say, watching so many people lose their lives for nothing is still unbearable in the heart. They are just ordinary commoners who shouldn’t suffer such a calamity."
Zi Xia muttered under her breath: "They’re not ordinary; they’ve all been afflicted."
Xuexue: "Right now, the common people are at their most difficult and confused times; if we can help them, we should."
"But this is an affliction; even we can’t do anything, can we?"
"It’s concerning so many lives; even if there’s no way, we have to try. Until the end, no one knows the result."
As they walked and talked, they were almost near the sedan chair when, suddenly, Xuexue stopped in her tracks, staring ahead in a daze.
"Ah!" Zi Xia, following behind, hadn’t noticed and bumped into Xuexue.
"Miss, why did you suddenly stop while walking? Oh dear! My nose hurts so much," Zi Xia said, holding her bright red nose, pitifully asking.
