The Su family was a prominent clan in charge of military horses. Those who wielded authority over weapons, provisions, and military steeds always seemed to hold themselves a cut above the rest.
The Su family's standing in military horse administration was unparalleled. Since the founding of Ming Qi, they had managed this domain with impeccable control. Pingnan Bo Su Yu was no exception. In his eyes, the Su family flourished in splendor and would undoubtedly endure for generations. Perhaps all loyal subjects harbored such a belief—that as long as they served with devotion, the imperial family would never fail to reward them.
Yet since ancient times, serving the emperor was akin to treading beside a tiger. Who could truly predict the twists of fate?
Su Yu, now past forty, shared a loving bond with his wife. Though he had several concubines, they bore him only daughters. With just two legitimate sons, he was particularly strict in their upbringing.
The eldest, Su Mingfeng, had already entered officialdom at a young age, inheriting authority over the Military Horse Administration just as his father had. In fact, over the past six months, he had outperformed even Su Yu himself. Some time ago, Su Mingfeng collaborated with veterinarians from the Imperial Hospital to reform certain regulations concerning military horses. Astonishingly, the number of horses lost to the Horse Plague was halved—a feat of great merit. Once the court received the military horse statistics next month, Su Mingfeng was certain to be rewarded.
The rewards themselves were secondary; it was the accompanying honor that truly mattered. Su Yu was already past his prime, but Su Mingfeng was now in his prime years—the perfect time to inherit his father’s legacy and expand his own reputation. If Su Mingfeng continued to excel, he might even become a trusted confidant for the next heir apparent.
Naturally, Su Yu was overjoyed by his eldest son’s achievements. However, his younger son was another matter entirely.
Su Minlang, the younger son, had been born when his wife was already advanced in years, and she doted on him excessively. As a result, he grew up spoiled. Far from matching his elder brother’s excellence, he often lagged behind even his peers.
Since Su Minlang was not the eldest, he wasn’t destined to inherit the title of Heir Apparent, so a lack of brilliance wasn’t necessarily a problem. But Su Yu was a stubborn man—how could he tolerate any flaw in his sons? Thus, every time Su Minlang returned from the Hall of Extensive Learning to be tested on his studies, he faced his father’s scolding while his mother shielded him. The household was often thrown into chaos.
On this particular day, Su Yu was in his study discussing matters with Su Mingfeng. Father and son had endless topics when it came to military horses. Master Su was immensely proud—what more could he ask for, having raised such an outstanding son? Their conversation soon turned to the rewards Su Mingfeng was set to receive the following month.
"In my opinion, His Majesty will surely grant you an official promotion this time. Forget jewels and gifts—what I want most is for your career to advance steadily. With the Xiongnu growing restless, the strength of our military horses must be prioritized. Mingfeng, as long as you secure the Emperor’s favor, our Su family will only rise higher. Your brother is still young—the burden of upholding the Su legacy falls on you."
Su Mingfeng nodded in agreement. In the vigor of youth, his features carried an air of righteous determination. Yet a trace of pride flickered in his eyes—what young man wouldn’t feel triumphant at such validation, especially from his father? Though he was usually composed in official matters, his heart swelled with joy.
Just as both father and son were in high spirits, a servant called from outside the door: "Master, the Second Young Master has returned."It was just the time when the second young master, Su Minlang, returned from school. Every day after school, Su Minlang would be summoned to Master Su’s study to have his lessons examined, and today was no exception.
Master Su pressed his fingers to his temples with a headache, glancing at his outstanding eldest son and then at his foolish younger son, who was as silly as a little pig. The contrast was almost comical. Every time Su Minlang entered the study, he would inevitably leave Su Yu fuming in frustration.
Today was no different.
Su Minlang slowly walked into the study, pursed his lips, and called out, “Father, Eldest Brother.”
He was like a round, bouncy ball—adorably naive. Su Mingfeng smiled and patted his younger brother’s head. “Minlang, how was school today?”
Su Minlang pressed his lips together and said nothing. Whenever he did this, it meant things had not gone well—not at all. He had been scolded by the teacher.
Master Su’s face hardened as he said to Su Minlang, “Hold out your palm.”
Su Minlang shrank back slightly before reluctantly extending his hand. There, on his fair and tender palm, were several red marks—clear evidence of a ruler’s punishment.
Master Su looked unsurprised, as if he had expected this. Su Mingfeng, however, felt a pang of sympathy for his younger brother. “Why did the teacher hit him so hard? He’s just a child.”
“It’s precisely because you all spoil him like this every day that he’s become so unruly!” Master Su exploded in anger. “What mistake did you make today?”
Little Su Minlang hesitated before mumbling, “The teacher asked me to write the four characters for ‘when the hare dies, the fox mourns,’ but I couldn’t remember them…”
“What am I to do with you?” Master Su lamented, looking utterly exasperated. “You can’t even write simple phrases. Look at other young masters your age—none are as hopeless as you. When your elder brother was your age, he had already begun studying the Military Horse Strategy. You’re practically disgracing our Su family name!”
Just as Su Mingfeng was about to intervene, his younger brother sniffled and said, “Even though I couldn’t write ‘when the hare dies, the fox mourns,’ I could write the six characters for ‘when the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked.’ That’s two more characters! Since they mean the same thing, isn’t writing the longer one just as good?”
“Nonsense!” Master Su was at a loss for words. Su Mingfeng chuckled and said, “Second Brother, those two phrases don’t mean the same thing.”
“Then what do they mean?” Su Minlang asked, tilting his little face upward.
“‘When the hare dies, the fox mourns’ means that when the hare dies, the fox feels sorrow because it shares a similar fate. ‘When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked,’ on the other hand, means that once the hare is dead, the hunting dog is no longer useful and is thus cooked. It refers to how tools are discarded once they’ve outlived their usefulness. That phrase is more like ‘burning the bridge after crossing the river.’” Su Mingfeng was a good elder brother and patiently answered his younger brother’s questions.
But Su Minlang shook his head, still looking confused. “But both things happen after the hare dies, so shouldn’t they be the same? The hare is dead either way.”
Just as Su Mingfeng was about to explain further, he noticed his father’s expression suddenly shift slightly as he murmured softly, “The hare dies?”"Exactly," Su Minlang spread his palms, his round, chubby face still wearing an innocent yet stubborn expression. "In the end, the rabbit dies anyway. Doesn't the meaning imply that when the rabbit dies, both the fox and the dog will suffer misfortune? Since everyone's going to be in trouble, aren't these phrases essentially the same?"
When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is boiled—such is the natural order. Fables are called fables precisely because they embody profound truths reflected in life.
When the rabbit dies, the fox, being cleverer than the dog, might foresee its own fate. But who exactly is the hunting dog? And what fate awaits the dog that helped its master catch the rabbit?
Su Yu's expression gradually darkened.
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