Are You Playing Us for Fools
Charles Chu’s backside throbbed with pain, his face burning with humiliation. He snatched up the nearest robe and wrapped it hastily around his waist. But as he turned, he saw three or four burly men on the bed, all now wide awake, their eyes gleaming hungrily at him as though he were a plump roast ready for the feast!
Swallowing hard under their ravenous stares, Charles Chu realized these men had clearly been drugged—and, judging by the effect, it was none other than that infamous concoction from his own Kingdom of Chu! The irony nearly made him choke.
“My lord, allow me to serve you…” drawled one of the burly men, his voice oddly coquettish. The sight of such a mountain of muscle delivering a line meant for a delicate maid nearly made Charles Chu faint from horror.
One of the men lunged at him, drool glistening on his chin. Charles Chu tried to kick him away, but the pain in his rear was so fierce he could barely lift his leg. He twisted awkwardly, just managing to dodge, his movements more pitiful than heroic.
The rest of the burly men piled in, pouncing one after another. At first, Charles Chu darted and dodged, but the cramped room offered little escape. With several hulking figures boxing him in, panic seized him—he flung open the door and fled for his life.
“Don’t run, my lord!” bellowed one of the men, sprawling on the floor and clinging to Charles Chu’s leg like a desperate child. Charles teetered on the edge of the second-floor railing, surrounded by gawking passersby. Downstairs, heads craned upward as the commotion revealed the noble Crown Prince of Chu—his clothes in disarray, tangled up with a pack of burly men.
For a moment, the entire building was stunned into silence. Eyes widened, mouths gaped—no one could believe their own eyes.
Charles Chu was now festooned with three or four burly men, each one built like an ox and clinging to him as tightly as a python. The sight was so absurd, the crowd could barely stifle their laughter.
The man clinging to his leg gave a mighty tug—rip!—and the robe Charles Chu had hastily wrapped around his waist was torn off in front of everyone. His face flushed crimson, humiliation burning hotter than ever.
A ripple of laughter swept through the crowd. Charles Chu’s humiliation was complete—he had become the spectacle of the day, a tale that would surely spread across the Capital by nightfall.
Just then, the constables of the Capital Constabulary rushed in, faces averted, clearly wishing they could be anywhere but here. But with Charles Chu’s royal command echoing through the halls, they had no choice but to intervene. With great effort—and no small amount of embarrassment—they pried the drugged men off him, dragging them aside.
Red-faced and furious, Charles Chu snatched up his robe and stormed out, glaring at the constables. “Take these assassins away and have them executed at once!” he thundered.
The chief constable forced a smile, bowing awkwardly. "Your Highness, you seem to think you can order us about as if you were in Chu, not Jin. Why should we obey such a command?"
The constable’s lips curled into a sly grin as he bowed. “Assassins, Your Highness? I see only the attendants who serve our guests in this establishment.”
Charles Chu bristled, his voice rising in indignation. “I say they are assassins! You dare doubt me? They attacked me—were you all blind?”
But the chief constable was no fool; he ordered the burly men brought forward for inspection. After a quick check, he snickered, “Your Highness, are you playing tricks on us?”
A crowd had gathered, eager for the spectacle. Charles Chu, red with fury, barked, “When have I ever played tricks on you? Enough nonsense—take them away and execute them!”
The chief constable’s smile faded, and he replied with a bow, “Your Highness, our Capital Constabulary cannot execute citizens of Jin without evidence or imperial decree. If you wish to pursue this matter, you must present your case before the authorities.”
Charles Chu glared at the constable, his face contorted with rage. "You insolent wretch! I am the Crown Prince of Chu—my word is law!"
The crowd murmured, some snickering behind their hands, others exchanging glances. It was clear: in Jin, even a prince from Chu was just another foreigner.
The constable bowed again, unmoved. "If Your Highness wishes to seek justice, you may submit a petition to the Imperial Court. Until then, we can only ensure the peace."