Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 25

The next day.

 

Before dawn, Wu Jing was awakened.

 

Although the palace was lit with oil lamps, the sight was still dim. Wu Jing sat up groggily, eyes half-opened, as if he could fall back asleep in the next moment.

 

He felt as if the repeated “Your Majesty” calls were summoning his soul.

 

“Your Majesty, wake up quickly.”

 

“Your Majesty? Wake up?”

 

“Your Majesty, Lord Qinghong is calling you for breakfast.”

 

Breakfast—

 

In a half-asleep state, Wu Jing accurately recognized these two words. He struggled to open his eyes. “…Wuuu is awake.”

 

The palace maid who woke the emperor breathed a sigh of relief. As she tidied his hair, Wu Jing squinted for a while longer. Finally, he got out of bed to wash up, feeling hazy throughout the process, always feeling like he had forgotten something.

 

He seemed to have dreamed of Ning Qinghong last night? Wu Jing recalled the fragrance of tranquility in his dream and remembered his random thoughts before falling asleep. He couldn’t help but shake his head.

 

Thoughts by day lead to dreams by night. He couldn’t spread rumors about others in his mind next time.

 

And today, it wasn’t Lady Yanhe who woke him up. Had Ning Qinghong arrived at the Yangxin Hall before dawn? Had the palace attendants in his sleeping chamber been replaced? He had no idea why he was being woken up so early.

 

Having breakfast while it was still dark outside.

 

Weird.

 

Wu Jing was helped into the red and white garment he had worn after his bath yesterday. When he turned around to look at his bed, he realized belatedly that all his little toys, the lambs and ducks from the night before, were nowhere to be found.

 

Grabbing the sleeve of the palace maid, Wu Jing said, “Sister, Wuuu’s cloth tiger is missing.” He pointed to his bed.

 

The palace maid hesitated for a moment and then said quickly, “I was afraid those hard objects would bother Your Majesty, so I came in halfway through the night to tidy up.” She asked tentatively, “Would Your Majesty like me to get them?”

 

Could he also get back the toys from the day before? He could grab the pole of the nine-linking rings while he was at it.

 

Wu Jing pretended not to understand and repeated, “Cloth tiger, Wuuu wants the cloth tiger.”

 

The palace maid wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Yes, I’ll fetch it for Your Majesty.” She hurriedly went behind the screen.

 

Wu Jing followed her quietly, peeking out from behind the screen. He saw the palace maid walk to the bookshelf where he would never step in under normal circumstances and pick up a wooden box, bringing it over.

 

The palace maid placed it on the dressing table. “Your Majesty, it’s inside.” She presented it to Wu Jing to open.

 

Inside were all the toys he had accumulated over the past two days.

 

At the top was the cloth tiger that the emperor had insisted on having. Wu Jing picked up the cloth tiger and looked at the palace maid, decisively reaching into the box and saying, “They’re all Wuuu’s!”

 

After taking out most of the items, Wu Jing didn’t see a trace of the golden copper rod. He looked carefully again and confirmed that it wasn’t there before letting go.

 

Could it be that the palace maid who helped him tidy up his bed yesterday morning didn’t find it either?

 

Where on earth did he kick that rod to? Surely he didn’t kick it onto the floor and have it thrown away by the palace servants as rubbish?

 

Impossible?

 

Wu Jing silently looked at the toys he had taken out.

 

The palace maid asked, “Has Your Majesty finished?” She tentatively closed the box.

 

Wu Jing’s attempt to put the items back was interrupted, and it was too late to suddenly change his mind and say he didn’t want them anymore. As the palace maid put on his hair accessory, he had no choice but to carry the pile of items and follow along.

 

Not heavy, but there were too many items. Wu Jing dropped one with every step, picking them up numerous times along the way, feeling exhausted.

 

It wasn’t until they reached the door of the Yangxin Hall that Wu Jing realized they weren’t heading towards the dining hall of the Yangxin Hall.

 

After the delay, the sky had begun to brighten slightly. The autumn breeze passed through the hall, particularly desolate. A sedan chair was quietly placed at the gate, with eunuchs waiting obediently on the side.

 

Wu Jing subconsciously took a step back.

 

Seeing that he didn’t follow, the palace maid turned back and said, “Your Majesty, please hurry up. It’s time to go.” She pointed to the sedan chair, indicating he should get on.

 

Wu Jing pretended to be clueless, hugging his pile of toys tightly. He took his time getting on the sedan chair.

 

So troublesome.

 

It would be best if there was really a feast waiting for him.

 

The eunuchs lifted the sedan chair, and the palace maid stopped at the palace gate, not following up. She wiped the sweat from her forehead again, revealing that she was the palace maid who had knelt at Lord Qinghong’s feet last night.

 

The paths in the palace were mostly the same, with red walls and golden tiles, making one’s head spin. The journey was long and far, perhaps because of the morning chill, Wu Jing was still wearing a fox fur coat.

 

As the sedan chair swayed, Wu Jing, holding a pile of items, began to feel sleepy again. Before long, he wrapped himself in the fox fur and fell asleep against the chair back.

 

As his hand relaxed, the items in his hand also fell along the way.

 

The eunuchs behind him, like the previous emperor, stooped to pick them up along the way.

 

After nearly half an hour, Wu Jing was shaken awake. “Your Majesty? Your Majesty, we’ve arrived.” He was drowsily helped down from the sedan chair and led away for quite a while before he fully woke up.

 

It seemed to be the place Ning Qinghong had brought him to after he left the court the day before.

 

Outside the Supreme Hall, Fuchen waited at the palace gate. Seeing Wu Jing from afar, he greeted, “Your Majesty?” with a smile as he took the young emperor from the eunuch’s hands and led him forward. “Do you still remember me?”

 

Although the emperor was a fool, he still had to be coaxed.

 

Fuchen continued, “Lord Qinghong has not yet left the court. Wait for another half hour, and you can have breakfast with him. Your Majesty, wait inside for now.” He added, “It’s chilly outside, but there’s warm incense burning inside. Take a rest first.”

 

Why did they ask him to come over so early for no reason?

 

Wu Jing felt aggrieved at being woken up early for no apparent reason, but obediently followed along. Over these days, even if he was a fool, he could recognize the people who had always been with his brother.

 

Inside the main hall, apart from a few palace maids, there was indeed no sign of Ning Qinghong. Wu Jing was seated on the dragon throne, and the eunuchs piled up the little toys he had dropped onto the table.

 

In addition, there were several stacks of memorials to be reviewed on the imperial desk.

 

Wu Jing pretended to be puzzled and looked around. “Brother?”

 

“Sit here for a while, and you’ll see him soon,” Fuchen said before adding, “Let me go make some hot tea for Your Majesty.”

 

Wu Jing obediently sat down and watched Fuchen walk away.

 

He was really tired. His eyes passed over the stack of memorials on the imperial desk and then looked down at the spacious dragon throne.

 

Since the Taishi chair hadn’t been brought up by the palace attendants yet, the memorials were all piled up in front of the dragon throne. There was no place for Wu Jing to sleep. After hesitating for a moment, he quietly kicked off his cloth boots, then skillfully pulled off the fox fur and draped it in front of him, closing his eyes.

 

He fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

 

By the time Ning Qinghong arrived, it was already fully light outside.

 

He stood outside the hall, blocked from view by the high dragon throne and the imperial desk at this angle. He casually asked, “Where’s Your Majesty?”

 

Taking the white jade board from Lord Qinghong’s arms, Fuchen said as he helped Ning Qinghong remove his fur coat, “He’s fast asleep on the dragon throne.”

 

Ning Qinghong closed his eyes briefly and then asked, “What about the way here?”

 

Fuchen’s expression became more complicated as he recounted everything that had happened on the way here, including the fact that the emperor had insisted on having the cloth tiger when he arrived, then took most of the toys, resulting in both his hands not being able to hold them, dropping them along the way and sleeping again after getting on the sedan chair. The palace servants had to pick them up again.

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled softly, unable to tell if it was true or false, and simply said, “Is that so?” As his fur coat was removed, he asked, “Have the memorials on the table been tampered with?”

 

Fuchen’s expression became even more complicated. He shook his head. “The palace attendants guarding said that as soon as I left, Your Majesty took off his shoes and lay down to sleep.”

 

Ning Qinghong didn’t say anything more, with a hint of a smile, he quietly walked inside.

 

The crimson court robe stopped in front of the dragon throne.

 

Ning Qinghong bent down slightly, quietly looking at the curled-up young emperor on the dragon throne. It was early autumn, and it was also cold in the morning. Wu Jing, who had slept rudely at night, was now wrapping himself tightly in the fox fur.

 

The lower half of Wu Jing’s face was covered by the soft fur of the fox fur, only revealing a flushed nose tip, breathing lightly.

 

Ning Qinghong extended his fingertip and silently lifted the fox fur covering the young man’s face, revealing Wu Jing’s pinkish cheeks from sleeping. He gently touched them with the palm of his hand, feeling their warmth.

 

It was warmer than expected.

 

This warmth wasn’t just a facade when his eyes were closed.

 

Just as Ning Qinghong entered from outside, the cold touch of his fingers made Wu Jing flinch, his neck retracting from the cold. He opened his eyes drowsily, meeting Ning Qinghong’s gaze as he bent over to look at him.

 

With faint smiles in his eyes, Ning Qinghong’s demeanor was gentle and refined, his jawline softened. His demeanor was so gentle that it was confusing,

 

No hint of danger could be discerned.

 

Wu Jing’s delicate features widened his eyes almost as if he was startled by the beauty, but his soft temperament allowed him to stay still despite someone being so close to him while he slept, uncovering him and touching his face. He just stiffened slightly.

 

Almost instantly, he thought of the random thoughts before he fell asleep last night.

 

With this movement, Ning Qinghong’s strands of black hair brushed against Wu Jing’s neck, causing his ear tips to turn red, and he instinctively shrunk back.

 

Can’t think wildly, can’t think wildly.

 

Ning Qinghong rubbed the flesh of Wu Jing’s face, his tone ambiguous, “You slept so soundly.”

 

Wu Jing, who was not completely awake, instinctively moved, his eyes filled with confusion like a deer, “Brother?”

 

Not understanding how Ning Qinghong appeared in front of him like a flash of light the moment he opened his eyes, had he slept for so long?

 

Ning Qinghong smiled, “Call me again.”

 

Wu Jing’s response was almost instinctive, his nerve reaction faster than he had expected, subconsciously calling out, “Brother.”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled, “Wu Jing woke up, that’s good.” He repeated softly, “It’s good that you woke up.”

 

Wu Jing hadn’t fully realized yet, just obediently repeating, “Wu Jing woke up.”

 

Nothing seemed staged.

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Shall we go for breakfast?”

 

Wu Jing’s eyes lit up, “Let’s eat breakfast!”

 

It really didn’t seem like an act.

 

Ning Qinghong’s voice was slow, “Hug brother.” He squinted slightly, as if observing the young emperor.

 

Wu Jing hesitated for a moment, then obediently reached out and embraced Ning Qinghong’s neck. Once the decision was made, there was no resistance in his actions, and there was even a hint of eagerness.

 

Leaving aside whether Wu Jing dared to say “no”, after sleeping for nearly an hour, he was genuinely hungry. He automatically imagined himself as one of the pets Ning Qinghong raised.

 

Absolutely no overthinking.

 

However, there were still some suspicions. Even if Ning Qinghong seemed exactly the same as before, Wu Jing couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering elsewhere. He could only hope to reach the dining hall soon and for Ning Qinghong to release him.

 

Wu Jing even urged, “Wu Jing is hungry.”

 

He looked at Ning Qinghong with hopeful eyes.

 

Ning Qinghong was unusually silent for a moment.

 

Author’s note:

 

Qinghong: (self-doubt): ? 

 

.

.

.

.

 

The “Taishi Chair” is a specific type of chair traditionally associated with Chinese culture. It’s a high-backed armchair often used by high-ranking officials or individuals of authority. The chair is characterized by its elaborate design, typically featuring ornate carvings and decorative details. The Taishi Chair is often associated with power, dignity, and authority in Chinese culture.