Chapter 132: What A King
What A King . . .
Distrust of the royal family ran deep among the people, a sentint so profound that they would sooner believe in the existence of ghosts than the words that emanated from the lips of royalty. It was a wisdom etched into the collective consciousness.
With an amiable smile, the king, Chen Xuan-Tian, addressed the crowd, acknowledging the potential restraint his presence might impose. "Fine. With my presence, you will very likely feel restrained. Fine. I will leave after several drinks. I don't want to be the uninvited guest."
His tone shifted, and a hint of lancholy colored his voice as he continued, "Brothers who have fought with side by side in battle now seem distant to … Oh. What a sha…"
The king's finger singled out an individual in the gathering, and he spoke with a playful grin, "ng Lao-Wu, don't hide behind others! You shared a tent with . I rember a midnight when you suffered from loose bowels and soiled your pants right in front of my bed. Don't you recall that embarrassing mont? You kept lanting your disgrace, but did you truly consider yourself any better before it… Now, you've even stopped talking to . Perhaps your bald head is more disgraceful than your unfortunate mishap…"
ng Lao-Wu, a burly man with a bald head adorned with scars, rubbed his smooth pate and muttered, "Your highness, how could you say that… If you hadn't secretly given a laxative, how could I have experienced that humiliating episode… And now, you've seen how embarrassed I was…"
His words triggered uproarious laughter from the crowd.
Even the king joined in the mirth, stating, "And you… Han Lao-San, Song Lao-Qi, Bai Xiao-Jiu. And you, you… You rascals. We had an agreent to catch so fish, but when I jumped into the water completely unclothed, you absconded with my attire! I had to cover my modesty and endure the ordeal until nightfall. Upon my return to the barracks, you scoundrels lit up every torch and shouted. You exposed naked under the unforgiving light, turning it into an unforgettable spectacle… I was mortified! Have you conveniently forgotten that?"
He stared at them with feigned anger, remarking, "You ungrateful rascals!"
The king regaled the assembly with old anecdotes, invoking a sense of nostalgia and camaraderie. Gradually, the jovial atmosphere from yesteryears began to resurface.
So among the group chid in, "Your highness, you can't hold that against us… You can't rely recount stories of your own nakedness. It was in the desolate north, and there wasn't even a female rabbit in sight. Yet, you secretly administered a laxative to us. We endured a frigid night in the water to recover. What we did in retaliation was a rather lenient response, all things considered…"
The king laughed heartily, "You indolent, shaless rascals. You dared to strip of my clothes back then, yet now you quiver at the thought of sharing a drink with . Are you truly such cowards?"
The king's anecdotes rekindled fond mories among the n, fostering a sense of warmth. They began to chant, "Co on then! Drink!"
In days of old, they might have challenged each other with a boastful, "Do you have the guts to drink it up then?"
But today, they dared not utter such audacious words in the presence of the king.
"Make it a bottle then! Forget the cups!" The king, in a heroic gesture, brandished a large bottle. "I'll either have you drink until you drop or until you vomit!"
However, ng Lao-Wu, having regained his composure, intervened, "Wait, wait, wait… Your highness. As a precaution, I believe I must inspect your bottle. It could very well be filled with water. We all know your penchant for tricks while drinking. We may be simple n, but we are not fools. We can be deceived once, but never again. We have long mories…"
The crowd burst into laughter at ng Lao-Wu's words, shouting in unison, "Well said! Check the bottle!"
ng Lao-Wu examined the bottle and confird that it indeed contained water. He feigned shock, saying, "Your highness, after all these years, you persist in such antics. I must say, I am impressed…"
The king rubbed his nose, slightly embarrassed, and retorted, "You son of a witch. How dare you mock like this. I won't forget this…"
"Penalty! Penalty! That's more than enough!" The people continued to shout in jest.
Behind the king, an old eunuch with a pallid face couldn't contain his laughter, clutching his belly as he gasped for air. He spoke with a feeble yet audacious voice, "Oh, your highness, the humor here is truly infectious. Your words have left in stitches… I feel as though I've been rendered impotent imdiately…"
The atmosphere in the gathering had shifted from a mont of heartfelt camaraderie to one of uproarious laughter, all thanks to the audacious remark from the old eunuch. The generals and the king, who had been sharing hearty laughs, suddenly fell into an amused silence, gazing at the eunuch with a mixture of astonishnt and amusent. It was the king who, after a brief pause, couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.
"You… Got impotent?" The king's words, spoken with a playful glint in his eyes, drew hearty laughter from the crowd.
The generals, previously suppressing their amusent, now erupted into laughter that seed to shake the heavens.
[A eunuch… actually said that he got impotent…
How brilliant!
Could it be that he still possesses that organ?]
This jest broke the lingering tension and embarrassnt, bringing forth a renewed sense of camaraderie among the group. The king, thoroughly enjoying his ti with his old comrades, laughed heartily. He rolled up his sleeves, indicating his readiness for more revelry, and proceeded to engage in heartfelt conversations and drinks with one old friend after another.
Cha-Eun Xiao, ever perceptive, noted the subtle gesture of the king tapping the old eunuch's shoulder.
[Is that a gesture of apology? Or perhaps sothing else…]
Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for the king.
[This king is truly beyond my initial estimation.]
Regardless of the king's intentions behind the shoulder tap, it conveyed a sense of respect, and it was the king's initial gesture upon their first eting that left a favorable impression on Cha-Eun Xiao.
The king had honored the promise to Cha Nan-Tian, allowing him to stay in this place for twenty years, even though he now had a son like Cha-Eun Xiao. However, it seed that the events of this evening would strain the relationship between Cha-Eun Xiao and the king.
Observing the king, who ruled over the entire kingdom, lowering his royal stature to share stories and laughter with his old comrades, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but admire the king's deanor. While it might be part of a pre-battle celebration to win popular support, it was still a remarkable feat for a king to let loose and join in the revelry. Furthermore, Cha-Eun Xiao felt that the king's words carried sincerity. He didn't act as a king of higher standing among his old friends.
The jest about the eunuch, clearly a planned mont to ease the tension in the crowd, was evidence of the eunuch's significance. A eunuch who held such a position near the king was no ordinary servant. Despite officially being designated as a servant, even the queen and the crown prince dared not treat him as such. Such a person, willing to montarily sacrifice his dignity to fulfill the king's desires, spoke volus about the eunuch's loyalty.
In that mont, as the king tapped the eunuch's shoulder, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but perceive the king as a fundantally good person. The gesture was not just comfort but also praise, a testant to the king's character.
Witnessing the king's genuine camaraderie among the generals, Cha-Eun Xiao began to comprehend why individuals like Prince Hua-Yang, the War God of the Kingdom, would willingly serve under the king's banner. He also understood why his father, Cha Nan-Tian, an esteed and heroic figure, had made the promise to stay for twenty years.
If a king could maintain such a deanor, even if it was an act, it was more than sufficient. Such a king could inspire loyalty and admiration from all.
That was a lesson Cha-Eun Xiao could learn from this experience.
In contrast, he couldn't help but think of the crown prince, entangled in unsavory affairs. His only sentint toward him was that of disdain—a tiger's son reduced to a lapdog.
"Cha-Eun Xiao! Cha-Eun Xiao!" The king's voice bood, breaking through Cha-Eun Xiao's contemplation. "You little rascal, co over here! Since your father isn't here tonight, you're going to drink this entire bottle of liquor in his honor. I want to see what the 'alcoholic rice ball' looks like…"
ng Lao-Wu, still nursing his earlier embarrassnt, scratched his head and inquired, "Your highness, that Cha boy might end up vomiting. What's that got to do with rice balls?"
The king laughed heartily, "Don't you know he was the 'midnight snack'? A midnight snack soaked in liquor—what else could it be if not an alcoholic rice ball…"
ng Lao-Wu, taking a mont to ponder the king's jest, finally chid in with a bemused expression. "That's not a reasonable explanation. 'Midnight snack' isn't quite the sa as 'rice glue balls (yuan xiao).' In any case, he's not destined to beco an alcoholic rice ball!" His words carried a touch of humor as he attempted to clarify the distinction. [1]
The king, montarily stunned, then adopted a mischievous deanor. "Alright then. Let's say the midnight snack that night was indeed rice glue balls. How about that? We'll go with it!"
ng Lao-Wu, keen to appease the king, nodded vigorously and offered a touch of flattery, "Your words are as precious as gold, your highness. What you say must certainly be the truth…"
However, the crowd around them erupted in playful jeers and banter.
In reality, the five generals of the northern army couldn't help but swell with pride at this mont.
[Even though our esteed general isn't present, the king has not forgotten him! He rembers!]
anwhile, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly. He begrudgingly accepted the new moniker bestowed upon him by the king.
["Midnight Snack" is already my nickna, and now I'm acquiring another one, sothing like 'rice ball.' It seems I'm destined for so odd titles. This is just my luck.]
He made his way over to the king, acknowledging the jest, and without hesitation, he took a deep swig from the entire bottle of liquor in honor of his father.
In the side halls, officers observed the king's light-hearted antics in the main hall, their expressions a mixture of amusent and curiosity.
Back when the king was still a prince, he had concealed his royal identity and joined the ranks of the army. This fact was common knowledge among those present.
Yet, they had never anticipated the depth of the king's regard for these generals, a sentint made evident by his willingness to participate in such jovial revelry.
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