Su Yang felt extremely displeased listening to the discussions outside the prison cell. Xie Taihong and He Zhifei, those useless sacks of potatoes, had actually fallen for the tricks of Da Yu's corrupt officials? The Emperor of Da Yu was summoning them tomorrow morning at the imperial court, meaning Young Master would have to stay in prison tonight!
"Da Yu is clearly bullying us. Why should Young Master endure such humiliation? Don't they know their own worth? I'll tear down this damned Shuntian Prefecture and bury the entire Hao family alive..."
Su Yang didn't need to wait for Xie Jiang's command. As long as Xie Jiang showed no intention of stopping him, Su Yang would immediately draw his blade and act!
Su Yang turned his head to look at Fang Yuchun outside the prison cell. The head of Shuntian Prefecture was right there. In an instant, he could place his blade at Fang Yuchun's neck.
Su Yang's words were both arrogant and disrespectful. Fang Yuchun and Zuo Shixin's expressions turned displeased. If these words had come from Xie Taihong or He Zhifei, they certainly wouldn't have let it slide today.
Regardless of how special the identity of the Lan Yong envoy delegation was, the dignity of Da Yu could not be trampled upon.
But the one speaking was Su Yang. In their eyes, Su Yang was just a ruffian, and there were plenty of such ruffians in the capital. The young dandies like Ruan Ziji were just like him, their behavior utterly absurd.
To argue with such a ruffian for even another word felt beneath their dignity.
Fang Yuchun prepared to continue communicating with Xie Taihong, subtly reminding Xie Taihong to restrain Su Yang.
It was Lan Yong who had actively requested to submit to Da Yu and sought to be accepted by Da Yu. At the very least, they should present a harmonious and affectionate demeanor.
Unless the Lan Yong envoy delegation had a clear division of roles behind the scenes, and Su Yang was specifically the one playing the "bad cop."
"Hey, what kind of talk is that? Others facing trouble all think of resolving it peacefully, but you, you're just afraid the world isn't chaotic enough." Xu Hengyi couldn't stand it and interrupted, squeezing past Xie Taihong, who was blocking the doorway.
He walked to the stone bed and began to complain, "Xie Jiang, control this Young Master Su! This Young Master Su is your subordinate, right? Listen to what he's saying. Isn't he deliberately causing trouble?"
Fang Yuchun immediately retracted the leg he had half-extended. It was better to let Young Master Xu argue with them first. His and Zuo Shixin's every word needed careful consideration, but it was fine for Young Master Xu to say whatever he pleased.
Even if Young Master Xu's words and actions were slightly inappropriate, he and Zuo Shixin could help smooth things over.
Su Yang's gaze was fierce and sinister, "Who are you calling deliberately causing trouble?"
Su Yang's glare startled Xu Hengyi, but with Xie Jiang present, he wasn't afraid. "You open your mouth and want to tear down Shuntian Prefecture, and you want to bury the entire Hao family alive. If this isn't deliberately causing trouble, what is? You can't stand to see Lan Yong submit to Da Yu, so you want to deliberately stir up trouble, don't you?"
"Lord Fang is treating you as honored guests because you've traveled from afar. Out of respect for Uncle Xie and Xie Jiang, and for the sake of Lan Yong's sincere desire for friendship, he's not arguing with a scoundrel like you. Otherwise, with your atrocious attitude, do you think you could even walk out of Shuntian Prefecture!"
Under the cover of his third-rank official robe sleeves, Fang Yuchun silently gave a thumbs-up. Young Master Xu's retort was quite good.
Su Yang stared at Xu Hengyi and sneered, "When the Hao family bullied my Young Master, where were all of you? Why didn't anyone say the Hao family was deliberately causing trouble? Why didn't anyone say the Hao family was deliberately stirring up trouble? Now you're slinging mud at me, and all of you are crawling out from the earth?"
Did this guy have poison on his tongue to be so venomous? "How could there not be! I've stood by Xie Jiang's side from beginning to end..." Whatever you question, you cannot question our brotherhood!
*Slap, slap—*
Two books flew out, one to the left and one to the right, hitting both their faces almost simultaneously. "You came all the way to the prison just to argue in front of me?"
Su Yang's handsome face was slapped askew. "Who has the time to argue with them? It's because they're like mad dogs, biting at us relentlessly! I'm here to pick up Young Master. The prison is dirty and smelly; it's no place for Young Master to be..."
Xu Hengyi was furious. "Who are you calling a mad dog! Who is biting you relentlessly!"
How could this sound like an insult to him? He had followed them from the inn to Shuntian Prefecture, and he had been a bit too persistent, but wasn't it all for the sake of friendship between the two countries!
"You, you, you... a dog's mouth can't spit out ivory..."
"Xie Jiang, listen to this, listen to this. How infuriating this guy is when he speaks. There's nothing decent coming out of his mouth. Is it so hard to speak properly? We're being polite to him, and he..."
With subordinates like this, why did Xie Jiang take them under his wing? They had no regard for the bigger picture! And they were so tactless!
Xia Zeshi had followed them in intending to chime in, but seeing Xie Jiang's impatience, he swallowed the words he was about to say and tugged at Xu Hengyi's arm.
A few retorts to Su Yang were enough. There was no need to continue arguing with him. This person wasn't someone who could be reasoned with; it was pointless to talk to a duck about farming, and it might just annoy Xie Jiang.
"You treat my Young Master like this, and you still expect me to give you a good look? Then you might as well go home now, find a bed, and have a daydream!"
Su Yang felt these people were ungrateful! Young Master was too kind and too polite to them! They had developed the illusion that Young Master was easy to bully!
"How about I give you this prison cell, and you can argue here at your leisure?" Xie Jiang got off the stone bed and bent down to put on his shoes. Su Yang immediately scrambled over to serve him.
Xie Jiang kicked him aside, and then put on his own shoes.
Su Yang quickly turned and scrambled back. Having been kicked so many times, the entire process was smooth and practiced.
If he didn't know Xie Jiang disliked it, he would have grabbed Xie Jiang's leg and refused to let go. "Young Master, I just can't stand to see you wronged! Da Yu treating you like this is simply..."
There were so many ways to get revenge, why choose the most passive one?
Why not directly flatten the Duke of Wei's mansion, and all those who participated in harming Young Master? He had even thought of their methods of death.
Xie Jiang glanced back at him, his eyes devoid of emotion, but Su Yang felt a chill run through his entire body.
When did her affairs become something anyone could comment on?
Su Yang dared not.
Xie Jiang took two steps towards the prison door and said to Xie Taihong and He Zhifei, "I understand what you mean. You're worried I'll be wronged in Da Yu? I have indeed been wronged in this matter, but I've already vented my anger. It's just spending a night in prison; it's not like this is the first time I've been imprisoned."
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, don't continue talking about this topic of not being imprisoned for the first time.
Fang Yuchun's face was all smiles. "Marquis of Nan Hai is bold and forthright, with a true temperament. To have such courage at such a young age, Master Xie is truly blessed."
Zuo Shixin also feared that Xie Jiang would start complaining once his guardians saw him. Since arriving in Da Yu, Xie Jiang had been through one incident after another. It was said that he had suffered greatly in the Dali Temple prison before. He and Fang Yuchun had finally managed to appease Xie Taihong. If Xie Jiang's few words reignited his anger, their work at the Honglu Temple would become even more difficult.
Zuo Shixin understood the situation and, along with Fang Yuchun, showered Xie Jiang with praise.
The two of them were so effusive, they might as well have been holding Xie Taihong's hand, begging for secrets to raising a child.
Even if they asked Xie Taihong, he wouldn't be able to provide them.
Who knew how such a monstrous genius like Xie Jiang had grown up?