The Strategy of Washing Clean a Slag Shou

2.7

After being locked in the palace by Jing Cheng for over a month, Su Yang began to feel depressed. He soon realised that Jing Cheng’s attitude towards him was that of an owner with a pet who relied on its master for survival.

Everyday, he was fed on time, given a bath and his clothes were changed for him. When Jing Cheng felt like it, he would kiss and cuddle him, or sometimes tease him playfully. And at night,  he would clasp Su Yang in his arms, hugging him like a pillow. How is this any different from raising a labrador!

Even if you were raising a pet dog, you should still take it out for frequent walks okay! If you keep it in a cage all the time, even the dog will be depressed!

But how do you reason with him? Lecture him on the rights to freedom of citizens? Or tell him that people should have a certain level of respect and understanding for one another? Or open your heart to him and say, the one who ran away from the marriage arrangement with you was not me, I really love you, you can’t live without you!

In this superstitious feudal society, claiming to be an errant soul in another man’s body will surely lead him to be burned to death as a demon!

Su Yang slammed the chains on his wrist against the smooth marble floor. There was a clear ringing sound and a scratch appeared on the polished marble, but the silver chain remained pristine.

The chain was deceptively delicate. It resisted all his efforts at breaking the fine links and showed no sign of having sustained any damage. Its length was just enough for him to reach the windows, he couldn’t get close to the palace doors. All in all, his range of movement was restricted to less than three metres.

Su Yang was proud to say that he is very even natured and fairly tolerant, but his forbearance was being slowly whittled away as the days went by and he remained in captivity. Anyone who was locked up in such a cold and empty palace for more than a month is bound to eventually suffer from a mental breakdown.

He has to think of a plan to get Jing Cheng to release him before he loses his mind entirely.

=========

During the later session of the Imperial court, Jing Cheng was, as usual, closely surrounded by the ministers of civil and military affairs.

One of them was sighing, "The issues of the North have only just been settled, but now hostilities have risen in the South China Sea. When will we see the end of this."

Someone immediately retorted, "What need do we have to fear these trifling Wokou pirates. Our Greater Ming today is as boundless as the ocean and vast as the skies, thanks to the late Taizong Emperor’s efforts in cleaning out the Siguo island of these filth. Now we have the Róng Wángyé to defend us in his stead. Let them come and perish!"

“Yes yes yes,  that’s very true. Be it the Northern barbarians or the Southern midgets, when faced with our prince, they can only kneel and swear fealty to him."

Jing Cheng’s closest aide and confidante stepped forward, and said rebukingly, "Lord Wang, words should not be carelessly spoken! Even if they were to swear fealty, it would be to His Majesty the Emperor. All of prince’s battles with our enemy had been to defend and safeguard the Jing ancestry and all of the country. His loyalty is unwavering, the heavens can attest to this!"

The man was well aware of his own indiscretion, and began hastily making amends, "Begging prince’s pardon, begging prince's pardon, this humble official was merely expressing his opinion, and did not guard well his loose tongue, asking for prince's forgiveness…."

Jing Cheng listened to this spiel expressionlessly, and only felt that these people who were trying to out-talk one another, were in no way comparable to his obedient and charming little puppy.