Chapter 282
Chapter 282
“Does it hurt?”
Princess Ning Yan asked. Shen Lang took off his outer robe, revealing the soft armor he wore underneath. Of course, it didn’t hurt. All thirty lashes had landed on this armor.
“This is quite the treasure. It even bleeds when struck.”
“Naturally. The outermost layer of this armor is made from cotton soaked in blood. When you whip it, it leaves a bloody mark. Speaking of which, you were screaming quite pitifully earlier.”
“I screamed three times, but it sounded too fake, so I stopped.”
“But I heard that last scream, the one that sounded like a dying pig. It was utterly wretched.”
Shen Lang burst out in anger.
“Wouldn’t you know it, that rotten fellow scraped my neck with the last lash! Look at this. There’s even a bloody mark on my neck.”
Ning Yan leaned in and lifted his collar. Indeed, there was a three-inch-long bloody scratch.
“Damn it, it hurts like hell. That bastard did it on purpose. I’m sure of it.”
Since Shen Lang couldn't even be bothered to scream, the one administering the punishment was naturally less than satisfied.
‘I’m giving it my all to whip you, so you should at least cooperate. What’s the meaning of just standing there? Am I supposed to be putting on a one-man monkey show?’
So, the eunuch had given Shen Lang a little punishment with the final lash. That single strike had been so painful that Shen Lang had let out a miserable wail like a pig being slaughtered. If he had actually taken all thirty lashes on his bare skin, he would have been dead long ago. The junior eunuch watching from the side was completely dumbfounded.
‘Is… is this man tired of living? How dare he feign being whipped under the King’s decree? And Princess Ning Yan even cooperated? Hmph! Shen Lang, you’ve just added another crime to your list. I’ll be watching to see how you die shortly!’
“Shen Lang, there is something important I need to make clear to you.”
“Please, speak.”
“Last night at the Manyuan Prefecture Office, when you patted my chest, it felt strange. Were you trying to cop a feel then?”
“How could that be? Your Highness, last night when I was treating your illness, you pulled down your trousers below your abdomen. If I had wanted to touch you, wouldn’t that have been the most convenient time? My hand could have wandered anywhere, couldn’t it?”
Princess Ning Yan recalled that, and it was true. At that time, whether on her front or back, if Shen Lang had moved his hand just a little lower, he could have touched a very sensitive area.
“When I patted your chest, wasn’t that just a gesture between brothers? Why must you women have such filthy thoughts? How could you defile the friendship between brothers?”
Then, Shen Lang reached out again and patted Ning Yan’s chest. In that instant, the towering peaks once again swayed like furious waves.
“Would you say I’m touching you with improper intentions now?”
Shen Lang asked with an air of righteousness. Princess Ning Yan studied his face closely, then nodded and replied.
“No.”
“Isn’t this the truth? Haven’t we long since transcended the boundaries of gender and become brothers? Your Highness, your perspective is too narrow. I’ll be honest with you. In front of a woman like you, I don’t even get hard.”
As Shen Lang spoke, he squeezed his legs together, tucking his vital parts between them. Princess Ning Yan said, abashed.
“I’m sorry. I was overthinking things.”
“Your Highness, could it be that you have ulterior motives for me? That is absolutely forbidden. I think of you as a brother, but don’t tell me you want to sleep with me? Absolutely not!”
“How could that be? If I ever had the thought of sleeping with you, may I be struck down by lightning.”
*Rumble, CRACK!*
Thunder and lightning roared across the sky. It was the first thunder of the spring. In that moment, Princess Ning Yan was utterly mortified and furious.
‘Heavens, what is the meaning of this? I was speaking from the heart.’
Beside her, Shen Lang was inwardly shocked. He had been preparing to say the exact same thing as Princess Ning Yan when the heavens suddenly thundered.
‘Is this a warning from the heavens not to make careless oaths or run my mouth?’
The junior eunuch standing nearby watched them, completely stunned.
‘Does… does this Shen Lang have a death wish? How dare he be so audacious? Not only does he tease Her Highness the Princess with his words, but his hands are also taking liberties. He’s courting death. In a moment, I will report this to His Majesty and the Queen exactly as it happened. Shen Lang, you will surely die, surely!’
***
*Rumble…*
The spring thunder rolled. The morning court of the State of Yue began. An official, ready to begin the impeachments, had already reddened the rims of his eyes, prepared to let tears fall. In a moment, he would unleash the fury in his heart and wail in anguish. As all the officials bowed to pay their respects, the King’s eyes were also red, showing his fury over the burning of the Sacred Temple. His hands were even trembling slightly, as if he were trying with all his might to suppress a towering rage, a volcano on the verge of eruption. Life was like a play, and one had to be a good actor.
“My lords, you must have all heard of the outrageous event that occurred last night. Burning that place is an attempt to subvert the authority of our State of Yue, to defile the faith of our people. It is an insult to our Great Yan Dynasty and our Eastern civilization. The reason our Great Yan Dynasty has achieved peace and prosperity, why it possesses such grandeur and beauty, is because the sages bestowed their teachings upon us, uniting the hearts of the realm. The reason we have such a brilliant civilization today is thanks to the many sacred scriptures! The sages are the gods of our East, and today, the people of the State of Qiang have burned our Sacred Temple. That is digging up the very roots of our civilization. I am grieved, and my anger boils…”
*Rumble!*
As if to punctuate the King’s words, thunder echoed from the heavens. The King continued.
“Like this violent thunder in the sky, my five organs feel as if they are burning, and I wish to weep as if the heavens themselves were tearing apart!”
As the King spoke these words, the ministers gathered in the great hall followed suit, shedding tears and wailing loudly. Some overacted, collapsing to the floor in tears or beating their chests.
“Alas, what a tragedy! For the people of Qiang to burn our Sacred Temple is akin to digging up our ancestral graves. This is a feud of sworn enemies.”
“For them to burn our divine temple is the same as murdering our parents. We cannot live under the same sky as them.”
The entire great hall transformed into a mourning chamber, with every court official wailing and crying out for their deaths. However, most of the ministers were grumbling inwardly.
‘Your Majesty, you’ve already delivered such a magnificent speech. If you say everything, it makes it difficult for us to present our memorials.’
For a full hour, the sounds of weeping and cursing the people of Qiang continued. Every court official recited the memorial they had hastily written the night before. They demonstrated their heart-wrenching pain from every possible angle and acted out their barely suppressed rage with every turn. Finally, from the standpoint of the superiority of Eastern civilization, they expressed their contempt for the utter barbarism of the people of Qiang. One official, taking his performance too far, began to spit blood and faint. Those beside him couldn’t just stand by and watch.
‘How can you already be fainting and spitting blood? What are we supposed to do later? The Sacred Temple has been burned, so we have to keep up this act of outrage for at least ten days. If you pull out your ultimate move now, are you planning to smash your head against a pillar later?’
The performance had gone on long enough. It was time to get down to business. The officials from the Crown Prince’s and the Third Prince’s factions began to set the mood. Following their masters’ intentions, they were determined to outwardly condemn the State of Qiang while actually targeting the Su Clan.
‘His Majesty wants to strike at the Su Clan, so we shall be his sword.’
The King spoke calmly.
“The incident has already occurred. My lords, discuss what should be done next.”
Then, the King leaned back slightly, giving the signal.
‘You may begin! Those of you who understand my will, you may now strike with your swords. Who will be first? The Crown Prince’s faction? Or the Third Prince’s? No, you may begin together!’
As if by prior agreement, the officials from the Crown Prince’s and Third Prince’s factions stepped forward, ready to impeach the Su Clan. But someone else was even faster. It was the Marquis of Zhenyuan, Su Nan, the Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. His aged body moved with surprising speed as he immediately fell to the floor and began to wail loudly.
“Your subject has sinned! Your Majesty, the Qiang delegation ran amok in the capital. My Su Clan had them under surveillance, but we failed to prevent them from burning the Sacred Temple. The fault lies entirely with your subject. I implore Your Majesty to punish me! Your subject wishes to resign from all official posts and return to his hometown, so that this body may be buried there!”
Hearing this, the King’s body trembled slightly.
‘What a scoundrel. This old man, as cunning as a ghost. As expected, he’s too slippery to catch. Before anyone could even attack, you, Su Nan, admit to all guilt and immediately offer your resignation? What is the meaning of this? Are you threatening me? I wanted to strike with a sword and see your blood, not have you resign from your post. The war with the State of Nanguo is not yet over, and we cannot afford any rash moves from the State of Qiang. And you, Su Nan, choose this moment to resign? Now I have to be the one to comfort and persuade you to stay!’
The King shot up from his throne and personally descended to help Su Nan up, speaking in an intimate tone.
“My dear minister, why do you speak so gravely? You are a pillar of the state. How could I bear to let you leave my side?”
It wasn’t easy for the King to help Su Nan up. The old man was trembling so violently he looked as if he might collapse at any moment. This world was truly strange. The King desperately tried to appear younger through his attire, while Su Nan did the opposite, dressing to look older. The age difference between them was only about ten years, but they looked like a grandfather and grandson. Weren’t they both overdoing it? At this, the officials from the Crown Prince’s and Third Prince’s factions halted their intended impeachments.
‘Impeach? What’s the point? The man has already admitted his guilt and even offered to resign. If we press any harder, we’ll be accused of pressuring an old minister to his death.’
The King, inwardly regretful, said.
“Minister Su, you have always been at the forefront of holding back the State of Qiang. The State of Qiang is a nation that neither the court nor the common people can control. How should this matter be handled? I wish to hear your opinion.”
The King had kicked the ball back into Su Nan’s court.
‘Your act of voluntarily admitting guilt and offering to resign was certainly effective in blocking everyone’s attacks. But it will be impossible for you to retreat completely unscathed.’