Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 24

Surely no one would have any thoughts about a fool, right? Although he wasn’t actually a fool, only Wu Jing himself knew the truth.

 

Just imagining it from Yanhe’s perspective made him unable to help but curl up under the covers.

 

It wasn’t shame, but rather the feeling of guilt for pretending to be ignorant, which felt absurd.

 

Even just thinking about it was sinful.

 

And… Wu Jing rolled over in his bed, wasn’t he a eunuch? Even if Nine Thousand Years had a grand title, it couldn’t change the fact that he was a eunuch.

 

How could… he be capable of doing such a thing?

 

Wu Jing remembered the palace dramas he had watched before, where eunuchs employed all kinds of tactics and enjoyed torturing people.

 

He also thought of Ning Qinghong, who spoke to him gently during the day. In reality, the other party hadn’t caused him any substantial harm and had even provided him with food, drink, and entertainment.

 

It was nothing like the rumors of arsonists, who had no reason to commit the crime.

 

Wu Jing was afraid of him, afraid that he might accidentally do something wrong.

 

The way Ning Qinghong looked at him wasn’t like the way people looked at others; he was no different from the kittens and puppies they found in the Imperial Garden.

 

When he was in a good mood, he was patient with everyone.

 

Wu Jing was certain that the other party had no other thoughts about him. The relationship between the two of them was as pure as it could be!

 

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hugged someone without any hesitation.

 

Perhaps he was just gossiping about others in his mind. Wu Jing’s face felt hot, he felt a bit stuffy, and he poked his head out of the covers to breathe in the cool night air.

 

He rolled around on the bed with the cloth tiger in his arms, soon falling into a deep sleep.

 

It was just past the hour of the dog.

 

Wu Jing had developed the habit of going to bed around eight or nine o’clock.

 

—

 

Ning Mansion, back door.

 

Fu Chen sent away the shadow troupe invited by Ning Qinghong. Because His Lordship was in a good mood today, he even gave a few extra gold leaves to the leading craftsman who was celebrating his seventieth birthday.

 

It should have been a quiet night, but the mansion was lit up like daylight, with palace lanterns every few steps, as Ning Qinghong had yet to rest, and the entire Ning Mansion was still bustling with activity.

 

The mansion looked elegant at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was extravagantly decorated, even more so than the palace.

 

As Fu Chen returned, he saw his master standing in the pavilion by the lake, sprinkling fish bait into the pond, with warm wine still on the stove.

 

Approaching him, Fu Chen reported the news that had just been passed on by the gatekeeper, “My lord, many scholars who are rushing to the capital for the imperial examination came to visit today, but the gatekeeper followed your orders and drove them all away.”

 

These scholars had brought letters presented by the Ministry of Interior in the name of His Lordship, and without exception, they all stood on Ning Qinghong’s side in court.

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Take note of their names and present those who are left after the palace exam.”

 

Fu Chen acknowledged, “Yes.”

 

These letters were like the fish bait Ning Qinghong was throwing at this moment. Only when they were hooked could they have a chance to come ashore. Those who had the ability to get hold of this calling card would be noticed by him in court in the future.

 

Seeing his master idly throwing fish bait, Fu Chen thought hard and suggested, “It hasn’t been long since the Mid-Autumn Festival. I heard that the night market is flourishing again. Would my lord like to go for a stroll? The boats on the moat have started running again, making it lively.”

 

When he was sick, Ning Qinghong was like a different person from when he was well. The former had no interest in anything, while the latter seemed to have inexhaustible energy.

 

The lights in the mansion were only extinguished at midnight, and they were lit again before dawn, becoming a habit.

 

But unfortunately, there were no signs when the illness would strike, and its irregularity made it impossible to predict. Fu Chen served with bated breath every day, fearing the worst when his master’s mood was bad.

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Is that so?” He scattered all the fish bait into the pond, “Then let’s go and take a look.”

 

Fu Chen made a gesture to the back.

 

Almost all the servants in the mansion were eunuchs trained by the Ministry of Interior, all of whom were cautious in their words and actions. Immediately, some servants went to prepare a sedan chair.

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Also, let the scouts follow.”

 

He hadn’t dealt with today’s confidential report yet.

 

Soon, Ning Qinghong boarded the sedan chair heading towards the moat.

 

Four eunuchs dressed in short jackets, disguised as ordinary servants, steadily lifted the sedan chair. Fu Chen walked on the left side, while the scout followed on the right, quietly recounting the events observed by the Ministry of Interior in the capital today.

 

Inside and outside the palace, every detail was reported.

 

The curtains of the sedan chair swayed gently with the night breeze, never once being lifted. Ning Qinghong closed his eyes and listened attentively, never uttering a word. Only the faint sound of his fingers rubbing against the handle of the chair could be heard.

 

He wore a jade thumb ring and held two ivory carved walnuts in his hand. As he rubbed them together, the ivory and jade collided, creating a clear sound.

 

Again and again, causing one’s heart to race for no reason.

 

When the sedan chair finally stopped, the covert guards ceased their movement. The group was extremely low-key as they quietly boarded the pleasure boat, but were warmly greeted by the boat owner.

 

The compartment where Ning Qinghong was located, as well as the two compartments adjacent to it, were cleared of people. Below the window was the deck, lit up by lanterns, but the sound of drumbeats was not obvious due to the distance.

 

On the table were the newly designed snacks from the pleasure boat, along with some light wine that wouldn’t intoxicate. The incense burner emitted wisps of white smoke, and there was also a smoking pipe filled with tobacco, like a jade-like long pipe.

 

The emerald green pipe was slender, with one end adorned with a delicately carved small bowl inlaid with ink-silver, depicting flowers, birds, fish, and insects, while the other end was a mouthpiece made of coiled white agate threads.

 

As the scout entered the room, he continued the unfinished conversation.

 

Ning Qinghong placed the two ivory walnuts on the table.

 

He started by discussing matters in the Imperial Heart Hall, “Since Your Lordship left, His Majesty has not left the palace, and the lights were extinguished at the hour of the dog.” He paused, “But today, His Majesty did not inquire about Your Lordship’s whereabouts.”

 

Ning Qinghong, preparing to pick up the smoking pipe, paused. He stood tall and smiled lightly, “Did you sleep well?”

 

The scout replied, “The palace guards said that there were noises in the palace after the lights were out, but they stopped after two quarters of an hour.”

 

Fu Chen hurriedly agreed, “His Majesty probably found it difficult to rest without Your Lordship. Perhaps he forgot to ask today.”

 

Ning Qinghong looked at the river surface shrouded in the night, his gaze not revealing any interest in the scenery. He suddenly brought up a topic that no one could have expected, “This pipe looks good. Ask the boat owner which shop made it.”

 

Fu Chen was about to respond, “Shall we have one made in the same style and sent to the mansion?”

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Leave this compartment here along with the pipe. We might need it in the future.” His tone was calm and composed, then he suddenly smiled, “Let’s go, accompany me to the palace to see how well His Majesty slept tonight.”

 

In just a few moments, with thoughts swirling in his mind, no one knew what the Lord was thinking. Fu Chen was already accustomed to his master’s meticulous planning and immediately issued orders.

 

Just as they boarded the pleasure boat, they disembarked again.

 

The sedan chair stopped for only a moment before being lifted again. After stopping at the eastern gate, in the silence of the night, Ning Qinghong disembarked and switched to a palanquin, instructing Fu Chen to show the guards the token and calmly entered the palace.

 

Ning Qinghong’s arrival did not disturb anyone. He stopped Fu Chen, who was about to send a palace servant to wake up Wu Jing, “If he is awakened, I’m afraid I will have to coax him to sleep again, causing unnecessary trouble. Let’s all withdraw.”

 

He entered the sleeping quarters slowly.

 

As if suddenly becoming interested in taking a stroll, he entered the palace only to take a look around. The sedan chair remained outside the Imperial Heart Hall. It was true that he had come to take a look around, and he was now preparing to leave the palace.

 

Wu Jing, who was sleeping soundly, could never have imagined that an unexpected visitor would arrive at his bedside.

 

Ning Qinghong still held the smoking pipe in his hand, playing with it all the way. Now, he casually used the emerald green pipe to push aside the curtain. In the dim moonlight, he saw the teenager sleeping curled up on the bed.

 

The bedding in his arms had almost been crushed into a ball, his sleeping position was messy, and the cloth tiger that had been hugged in his arms before had been kicked to his feet. The toys he had sent over today were scattered all over the bed.

 

One white porcelain sheep here, one wooden duck there… they were not annoyingly hard.

 

Wu Jing was curled up among these toys, looking as if he had been crowded out by them, pitifully curling up into a ball.

 

Ning Qinghong sighed softly, seemingly helpless, and raised his hand to let the palace servants lift the curtain.

 

“Why are you behaving so rudely?” he murmured softly. Ning Qinghong bent down and personally picked up each of the scattered toys.

 

The palace servant brought over a wooden box about the size of two palms, silently presenting it. When opened, it revealed the toys Ning Qinghong had bought earlier, with the drum on top.

 

Fu Chen took it and held it in both hands.

 

After Ning Qinghong finished picking up the toys, he casually placed them in the wooden box, still bending over. Finally, he picked up the cloth tiger. He didn’t rush to get up, trying to remove the tightly wrapped bedding from Wu Jing’s arms.

 

The young man had no vigilance at all, and the movement made him half awake and half asleep, thinking he was dreaming in the dim light.

 

Smelling the familiar scent of tranquilizing incense at the tip of his nose, Wu Jing closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep again, albeit without his bedding. However, he dominantly grabbed Ning Qinghong’s outstretched arm, pressing his face against it and unconsciously rubbing against it.

 

He had absolutely no guard up.

 

Ning Qinghong silently spread out the bedding and covered Wu Jing. When Wu Jing stubbornly held onto his hand and refused to let go, Ning Qinghong gently stroked the side of the young man’s face with his palm, coaxing him to release his grip.

 

It took quite an effort to push away this clingy behavior and withdraw his arm.

 

Ning Qinghong straightened up, and the palace servants lowered the curtains again. Finally, he returned the cloth tiger to the wooden box.

 

Fu Chen was about to close the wooden box when he was suddenly stopped by a smoking pipe.

 

The smoking pipe in Ning Qinghong’s hand turned in another direction, and the white agate mouthpiece quietly pressed against Fu Chen’s hand. Ning Qinghong lowered his eyes, looking at the inside of the wooden box with interest, then smiled slowly.

 

Using the mouthpiece, he easily lifted out a long rod made of gold and copper.

 

The nine copper rings that should have been on it were missing.

 

Ning Qinghong’s movements were extremely light, and there was not a single sound of collision from beginning to end. He lifted the smoking pipe slightly, and the gold and copper rod slid into his palm from the pipe.

 

As it collided with the smoking pipe, there was a clear sound of jade and stone clashing.

 

It was intentional.

 

Through the curtain, one could vaguely see the young emperor on the bed seemed to have turned over due to the disturbance, his breathing still shallow and steady.

 

Ning Qinghong raised an eyebrow, looking amused, and took the two items with him as he left. He went behind the screen in front of the bed, stopping at a distance before coming to a halt.

 

Fu Chen had no idea what his master was thinking again, so he bent down and held the wooden box, following him.

 

He vaguely saw the Lord seemingly continuously flipping through the wooden box with the smoking pipe, seemingly searching for something.

 

Fu Chen didn’t dare to say a word. He felt that now was not the time for him to speak, and he was trembling with fear, almost bending down to kneel.

 

After searching for a while and not finding anything, Ning Qinghong said, “Go and check who made the bed for His Majesty today.” He spoke softly, “But be careful—not to disturb His Majesty.”

 

Fu Chen immediately left without making a sound.

 

The wooden box was placed on the table, and Ning Qinghong waited in the dim light for a moment before remembering something. He placed the cloth tiger in his hand back into the wooden box, closed the box again, and put it back on the shelf behind the screen in the study corner of the hall.

 

There were various ornaments of different sizes on it.

 

There were the Four Treasures of the Study, as well as porcelain and jade bottles.

 

Even if Wu Jing saw it, he wouldn’t have the interest to touch it, fearing that he would break it. The wooden box had always been placed here.

 

After a moment, Fu Chen returned with a palace maid.

 

Ning Qinghong was sitting on the grandmaster chair, dressed in a dark green wide-sleeved robe embroidered with colorful cranes. The night enveloped him, giving off a somewhat terrifying aura from the dark green color.

 

The palace maid knelt trembling at his feet, shaking all over.

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled softly, “What are you afraid of?”

 

The palace maid was on the verge of fainting, “I—I haven’t done anything.”

 

Before she could finish her sentence, Ning Qinghong made a “shh” sound, “His Majesty is resting. Don’t wake him up.”

 

The palace maid lowered her voice, “Yes, yes.”

 

Ning Qinghong said, “I’ll ask, and you’ll answer truthfully.” His smile carried a hint of coldness, “If you say a wrong word, you won’t need to leave tonight.”

 

The palace maid’s face turned pale.

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Do you recognize this item?”

 

The palace maid nervously glanced at it, almost nodding her head vigorously, “I do, I do.”

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Where did you recognize it from?”

 

The palace maid said, “This morning, when tidying up His Majesty’s bed, I found it in the mattress at the foot of the bed. I thought it was one of His Majesty’s favorite toys, so I, along with the other palace maids, put them in a wooden box.”

 

Ning Qinghong uttered three words, “Who was there?”

 

In his questioning, he didn’t give away any information, only asking short questions.

 

The person being questioned had no idea what he knew, what he didn’t know, or how much he knew. They were afraid that if they uttered a word of falsehood, it would be noticed.

 

The palace maid was extremely honest, not daring to make up anything she couldn’t remember. She mentioned two names and honestly admitted that she didn’t recognize the rest of the people and couldn’t remember them.

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Besides the items in that wooden box, did you find anything else?”

 

The palace maid felt that the Lord was suspecting her of being unclean, so she anxiously declared her innocence, “There were only those things in the wooden box. I wouldn’t dare to hide anything belonging to His Majesty!”

 

Dead silence.

 

The palace maid was sweating profusely, her vision darkening. She almost thought she would pass out from dehydration, but then she heard a faint laugh from the Lord, “You may leave.”

 

She weakly crawled out of the hall.

 

Ning Qinghong tapped the armrest of the grandmaster chair lightly with his finger bones, closing his eyes. His expression was unreadable, and after a while, he opened his eyes and said, “Fu Chen, go and bring out the items hidden under His Majesty’s bed.”

 

It took him a long time to recall this seemingly unimportant memory. It was indeed quite painstaking.

 

Fu Chen immediately went to carry out the order. After a while, he came out with two stacked plates. His hands were accustomed to serving people, so the small stones on top didn’t roll or sway at all as he walked.

 

He presented them steadily in front of Ning Qinghong.

 

With just a glance, Ning Qinghong saw the missing item. On the two porcelain plates, besides a wooden box and a few small stones, there was also a string of nine copper rings connected together.

 

They matched the copper rod in his hand.

 

Ning Qinghong handed the smoking pipe and the copper rod to the palace servant and chuckled silently, “Take these items back to the mansion and find a place to keep them.”

 

He didn’t plan to put them back in their original place.

 

Fu Chen hesitantly asked, “What about these few stones?”

 

Ning Qinghong stood up graciously, ready to return to the mansion. “Take them too.”

 

It wasn’t until they left the hall and escaped the suffocating space that Fu Chen felt like he had regained his life. He set down the burden in his heart and knew that the Lord had no intention of causing trouble tonight, regardless of what had happened earlier. However, he feared that if he didn’t clarify things tonight, he might inadvertently cause trouble for the master in the future. He carried the pile of items and followed behind Ning Qinghong, daring to ask, “Master, what’s going on?”

 

Ning Qinghong’s figure was mostly obscured by the darkness of the night, his expression unclear. Only his tone carried a hint of a smile. “It’s nothing.”

 

His voice was extremely light, “Just got played by a little fox.”

 

Author’s Note:

 

Jiu Qian : I got played