[Major news: Councilor Wang Anna drank too much yesterday and accidentally drowned in her own bathroom.]
[Tragic news: another major drinking incident. Alcohol harms your health. Please remember this.]
[When will alcohol be banned? Alcohol: something that wastes grain and serves no purpose.]
With Li Wen's arrangements in place, Wang Anna died that very night, in her own bathtub.
The news broke the following day, but the entire incident's coverage was steered toward drinking and prohibition, a topic that was very effective at setting the agenda.
Because questions about drinking and prohibition were certain to provoke arguments among large numbers of Zion's citizens.
As for the root of the matter-Councilor Wang Anna's death in her bathtub-it had practically already been settled.
Nobody investigated whether she had really died in her bathtub, or how she had died there. In any case, it had happened in the bathtub, and it was her own fault.
What needed discussing now was drinking...
The entire direction of public opinion had gone astray. Even the occasional dissenting voice would quickly be drowned out by the mainstream narrative.
Yes, she had gotten drunk and drowned in her own bathtub. Wasn't that normal? Perfectly normal.
However, when the Zion Council convened again the following day, the situation was somewhat different.
By the time Xu Le arrived, the other councilors were already there.
As Xu Le walked toward his seat, the meeting hall, which had still been buzzing with discussion, suddenly fell silent.
The atmosphere was unbearably oppressive, and several councilors looked positively thunderous.
Several newspapers reporting Councilor Wang Anna's death had been placed on Xu Le's desk. Needless to say, certain people had deliberately left them there.
Xu Le handed his coat to Ai Li, who tactfully stepped aside.
Only after all the security personnel had left, leaving