TN | The Malicious Empress

Chapter 16: Boil The Hound Once The Rabbit Is Caught

Both father and son were in a good mood when the servant at the door announced, "Master, Second Young Master has returned."

It was just at the time when Second Young Master Su Ming Lang was dismissed from the academy. Every day when Su Ming Lang finishes his lessons, he would always be called into Master Su's study for a test on his lessons and there was no exception today.

Master Su was holding down some of his headache as he look at his outstanding oldest son, then look at his second son who was as stupid as a little pig and felt that it was somewhat comical. Everyday Su Ming Lang came to the study and at the end Su Yu will roll in anger.

Today was the same.

Su Ming Lang slowly entered the study and his lips curled up as he called out, "Father. Eldest Brother."

He was just like a little round ball, which was silly yet adorable. Su Ming Feng stroke his younger brother's head, "Ming Lang, is everything well in the class today?"

Su Ming Lang pursed his lips and did not speak. Every time he did that it would mean that it did not go well, not one bit. He has been reprimanded by his teacher.

Master Su put a stern face on and said to Su Ming Lang, "Extend your palm out."

Su Ming Lang shrank back a bit and extended his hands in grievance. One could see a few red marks on the fair and tender palms. If these weren't strokes of a ruler, what else can they be?

Master Su had a look of expectant but it was Su Ming Feng that felt anguished for his own younger brother as he asked, "How could this teacher beat this heavily? He is just a child."

"It is all of your coddling that spoil him to this level!" Master Su flew into a rage after he heard it and angrily said, "What went wrong today."

Little Su Ming Lang hesitated before speaking mincingly, "The teacher asked me about 'the fox grieves when the rabbit dies' but I was unable to memorize it..."

"How do you want me to scold you!" Master Su had a look of pain in his face, "You can't even memorize words. Look at the young masters of your age, which one of them are like you. When your Eldest Brother was at your age, he was already reading books on military horses. The face of our Su family is almost thrown away by you!"

Su Ming Feng was about to try to persuade when he heard his own Second Younger Brother sobbing out, "Even though I was unable to memorize 'the fox grieves when the rabbit dies', I was able to memorize 'boiling the hound once the rabbit is caught' and it is longer by two words (in the Chinese wording 4 words vs 6 words). Since both of them have the same meaning, isn't it the same if one were to memorize 'boiling the hound once the rabbit is caught'?"

"What nonsense." Master Su simply did not know what else to say. Su Ming Feng smiled and said, "Second Younger Brother, these two phrases do not have the same meaning."

"Then what do they mean?" Su Ming Lang raise his head to ask.

"The meaning of 'the fox grieves when the rabbit dies' is that the rabbit died and the fox felt that it would suffer the same fate and felt sad. But 'boiling the hound once the rabbit is caught' meant that the rabbit was dead and there was no more value for the hunting dog so it was cooked. It means to say that once a thing has no more value and of no more interest, then the tool can be discarded. 'Boiling the hound once the rabbit is caught' and 'destroying the bridge after crossing the river' are somewhat similar." Su Ming Feng was a good elder brother as he patiently answered his own younger brother's question.

But Su Ming Lang shook his head and still had a look of confusion, "Since both were a matter of after the rabbit is dead, it should be treated the same. Anyways the rabbit is dead."

Su Ming Feng was about to explain but saw his father suddenly looked shocked as he softly repeated again, "The rabbit is dead?"

"Yes." Su Ming Lang opened his palm out as his plump rounded face looked innocently yet stubbornly, "If the rabbit is dead. Isn't the meaning that once the rabbit dies, the fox and dog would be out of luck? Since everyone is out of luck, then both phrases would still mean the same thing."

It was the natural order to boil the hound once the rabbit was caught. For a fable to be one, there was definitely base on major principles in life.

The rabbit died but the fox was cleverer than the hound and would have seen his own ending. But who was the hunting hound? What would be the outcome of the hound that help its master to hunt for the rabbit?

Su Yu's expression gradually sunk.

CHAPTER COMPLETED & EDITED