Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 30

Today’s documents were moved from the Yueji Hall to the Ning Mansion, and they sat untouched in the study all morning.

 

After lunch, someone finally remembered them.

 

Ning Qinghong flipped through the documents, and not long after, Fuchen entered from outside, carrying a freshly brewed small silver snow tip tea, and placed it on the table. “Master, those gossipy mouths in the mansion have all been dealt with, leaving no future trouble.”

 

Ning Qinghong didn’t even lift his eyes. “Go to the Internal Guards and recruit a new batch of people.”

 

Fuchen acknowledged, then added, “I noticed some outstanding newcomers in the palace this year. When the time comes, we should teach them the rules properly and recruit a new batch of people from the Internal Guards.”

 

Ning Qinghong, as if recalling something, said, “Pick someone and have them secretly observe the Emperor’s every move after he returns to the palace today.”

 

Although Fuchen didn’t understand, he still responded, “Yes.”

 

Ning Qinghong paused his pen tip. “Especially at night.” He quickly noted down the name of the minister who wrote this particular document in the corner and swiftly moved on to the next matter. “Send this document back to Huang Huairan’s mansion intact, so he knows about today’s incident with Cui bringing his invitation to our mansion to present a gift.”

 

Fuchen didn’t understand. “Master, why is that?”

 

Sending the document back would undoubtedly make Huang Huairan uneasy for a few days, thinking he had somehow offended the Lord.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled. “To prevent Cui Ze from making a fuss about this in the capital. Before next year’s Spring Festival, we don’t want to disturb the minds of the other scholars and stir up public grievances.”

 

Fuchen asked again, “Should we inform Huang Huairan clearly?”

 

Ning Qinghong flipped open the next document. “No need. Let Huang Huairan guess for himself.” He casually remarked, “Since it was his invitation, he should naturally take care of the aftermath.”

 

“If he can’t figure it out or handle it properly, then it’s his responsibility.”

 

Fuchen wiped away his cold sweat and responded, “Yes.” He cleverly changed the subject, “Master, after lunch, the Emperor played in the courtyard for a while and then went to your room to rest.”

 

Ning Qinghong listened calmly.

 

Fuchen continued, “After the Emperor wakes up, should we send him directly back to the palace or…”

 

Ning Qinghong interrupted, “Send him back to the palace.”

 

Seeing that even the Emperor couldn’t lift the Master’s spirits, Fuchen could only comply respectfully and retire to handle various matters.

 

Wu Jing had no idea whose bed he was sleeping in. When he felt tired, he was led by the servants to a luxurious bedroom.

 

With the people in the Louge just being dealt with, and the servants in the Ning Mansion being informed by Fuchen, everyone naturally knew about the Emperor’s identity. After several arrangements, they almost treated the Emperor as the Master.

 

Afraid of wronging the Emperor, they naturally thought of taking the Emperor to the Master’s room.

 

Wu Jing took off his outer clothes, loosened his hair, and fell into a deep sleep on the soft bed, perhaps because he had woken up early today and had been inexplicably awakened at five in the morning.

 

His nose was filled with the familiar scent, which made him feel particularly relieved.

 

In any case, he slept soundly.

 

Ning Qinghong finished reviewing the documents and was informed that the Emperor had not yet woken up, even after two hours.

 

He pressed his temple.

 

Fuchen said, “Master, if you’re tired, why not take a rest?”

 

Ning Qinghong sipped his tea and paused for a moment. “Summon Doctor Li.”

 

When Doctor Li arrived at the North Room, Ning Qinghong had just stepped into the bedroom from the study. He saw the old man, raised his hand to signal him not to bow, and said softly, “Wait outside the screen.”

 

The outer and inner rooms were separated by a screen, on which hung a rare landscape painting. Below it was a signature from a master who had long since passed away, making it a rare treasure.

 

Ning Qinghong didn’t spare a glance at the painting. He walked straight past the screen and into the inner room.

 

His smoke-blue robe brushed past the yellow rosewood rack, which held a rare piece of red glaze.

 

This room was devoid of gold, yet it was filled with gold everywhere.

 

Ning Qinghong slowly lifted the curtain and walked into this golden room. With people waiting on both sides, the curtain was lifted, revealing a young man sleeping soundly on the bed. He took in every detail of the scene.

 

He bent down.

 

Wu Jing was asleep, holding the blanket he had rolled up into a ball. He was snoring heavily, but because he had slept for an unusually long time, he was vaguely aware of his surroundings. He wanted to wake up, but he also wanted to continue sleeping like this.

 

So whenever there was a slight movement next to him, he heard it.

 

“Wu Wu?”

 

“Why are you still sleeping? It’s getting late, time to go back.”

 

As if someone was speaking by his ear, Wu Jing groggily opened his eyes and saw a shadow of smoke-blue in front of him. The familiar warmth reflected in his eyes.

 

Ning Qinghong raised his hand slightly, and the complex lotus patterns on his sleeve moved accordingly.

 

Wu Jing almost felt like his eyes were going blurry. His head was still spinning, but subconsciously he called out, “Brother?”

 

Even he himself didn’t realize that sometimes he was terrified of Ning Qinghong, yet other times he wasn’t afraid of him at all.

 

A strong contradiction.

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Should brother help Wu Wu get dressed?”

 

He reached out his hand slightly, as if indicating to hug him.

 

Before Ning Qinghong could make a move, Wu Jing, holding onto the blanket, obediently let go of his hand. His consciousness still not clear, his body automatically moved, leaning towards him.

 

It was only after he had embraced Ning Qinghong that he realized how natural it was to wrap his arms around Ning Qinghong’s neck.

 

Ning Qinghong’s eyes seemed to carry a smile as he sat down on the bed with Wu Jing in his arms. “Your hair is all messy.” A servant handed him a wooden comb, which he took and, while holding Wu Jing, began to comb his black hair.

 

Just as skillfully as when he had trimmed Wu Jing’s nails that day.

 

The servants nearby were all trembling with fear, not daring to look at how their master was serving someone, nor daring to imagine that even though he was now in the position of a lord, he still had the time and inclination to do things like serving someone as he had when he was an attendant.

 

Wu Jing knelt between his knees, sitting on his lap, feeling a little dazed. It took him a while to come to his senses. “Thank you, brother.”

 

He willingly accepted being treated like a toy.

 

Sitting on his brother’s legs, Wu Jing obediently let Ning Qinghong wash and dress him. He bowed his head to tie his hair, burying his face in Ning Qinghong’s body. Whenever he was told to raise his head, he did so obediently.

 

It seemed like he would listen to whatever others told him to do.

 

Letting himself be manipulated.

 

“All right, does Wu Wu want to put on his own shoes?”

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled softly.

 

Wu Jing obediently climbed down from his lap and landed on the ground again, putting on the wooden clogs placed by the bed.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled and looked at Wu Jing standing in front of him. “It’s getting late. Wu Wu needs to go back for dinner.”

 

Wu Jing waited for him for a while, but seeing that he didn’t move, he tentatively reached out and grabbed Ning Qinghong’s sleeve. “Eat?” 

 

Weren’t they supposed to go eat?

 

Why wasn’t Ning Qinghong moving at all?

 

Wu Jing waited for a while longer, then, with a bewildered expression, took a step closer and bent down to take Ning Qinghong’s hand. “Brother? Eat?”

 

In just a few days, he had already become familiar with Ning Qinghong’s various habits towards him.

 

Wu Jing’s fingers curled around Ning Qinghong’s slender ones, gently pulling, as if urging him.

 

Only then did Ning Qinghong slowly stand up. “Brother won’t be having dinner with Wu Wu today.” He said, “Wu Wu should go back first.”

 

“Fuchen.”

 

He called out.

 

Fuchen immediately stepped forward and firmly held onto Wu Jing’s arm, respectfully bowing, “I’ll escort Your Majesty out of the mansion back to the palace.”

 

Wu Jing was led forward by that force. When he turned back, all he could see was a folding screen, with an old man standing by it, bowing his head.

 

Doctor Li met the curious gaze of the Emperor and showed a smiling expression. “Your Majesty, take care.”

 

He watched the Emperor’s departing figure.

 

It wasn’t until the Emperor was out of sight that Ning Qinghong walked out from behind the folding screen. He stopped by the folding screen, playfully examining the rare piece of red glaze, asking, “How was it?” He traced the porcelain’s surface with his fingers. “Did Doctor Li see the shadows of those children you used to treat?”

 

Doctor Li, seeing Lord Ning behind the folding screen, deeply bowed and said, “No.”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled, “Why is that?”

 

Doctor Li added, “I haven’t seen any signs of illness in Your Majesty.” After some consideration, he continued, “But Your Majesty’s behavior is like that of a three-year-old child. Although not noisy, there may be exceptions to everything.”

 

“If Your Majesty does not behave like this in front of others, but only treats you differently, then there is no possibility of this.”

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled lightly, “Is that so?”

 

Doctor Li pondered, “If Lord Ning is not reassured, I can treat Your Majesty in the future.” He inquired, “Would you like me to try to cure him, or…”

 

Unfinished words, both of them understood.

 

Ning Qinghong seemed to hear something satisfying, and just smiled softly, “The Emperor’s health is precious. It’s best to keep everything as it is.” There seemed to be another layer of meaning in his words, and he quickly added, “Doctor Li, please go.”

 

After dinner, until late at night, Ning Qinghong discussed the court affairs of the day with the cabinet ministers who had not met in the morning in his study.

 

And then he didn’t sleep all night.

 

In the first half of the night, he brewed tea and warmed wine, playing chess with himself.

 

In the second half of the night, he played with a handpiece, listening to the servants reciting idle books by his side.

 

Fuchen had already gone to rest. While Lord Ning had the energy to stay awake, he was still a normal person and couldn’t possibly not rest.

 

It wasn’t until the sky began to lighten that Fuchen woke up and went to call Lord Ning, who was still in the study.

 

Ning Qinghong felt a little tired and rested for a while. Before it was time for the morning watch, he was awakened again, showing no signs of fatigue on his face.

 

Fuchen was worried and said, “My lord, why not let Doctor Li prescribe some medicine for you to take before bed? Or change to a new kind of calming incense each time, this can’t go on.”

 

Ning Qinghong replied calmly, “No need.”

 

He went back to his room with the morning dew.

 

The spies who had been hiding in the Yangxin Hall all night were already waiting by the door.

 

Ning Qinghong paused for a moment and asked, “Is there anything unusual with His Majesty?”

 

The spy replied, “None.”

 

“After having dinner, His Majesty went to the imperial garden to play with the wild dog for a while before returning to the sleeping hall. He went to bed shortly after extinguishing the lights and slept deeply until I left, without waking up once.”

 

“He has been asleep the whole time.”

 

Ning Qinghong asked calmly, “Did he ask the palace attendants around him if they saw anything unusual in the Yangxin Hall?”

 

After considering it, the spy shook his head.

 

Ning Qinghong asked again, “From beginning to end, did he ever look under his own bed?”

 

Again, the spy shook his head.

 

Ning Qinghong paused for a moment before smiling faintly, “You may go.” He walked towards the inner room, preparing to change into his court attire for the morning court session. As he passed by the folding screen, he saw something out of the corner of his eye and stopped again, “Why does this red glaze look so delicate?”

 

“I’m afraid that if it’s placed here, it might be broken at the slightest touch. Put it back in the storage room and take good care of it.”

 

As Ning Qinghong finished speaking, the waiting servant stepped forward carefully to remove the porcelain cup.

 

Author’s Note:

 

Wuwu: Completely forgot about it .

 

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In the context of Chinese ceramics, “red glaze” refers to a specific type of glaze used in pottery and porcelain that produces a red color. The term often used is “釉里红” (yòu lǐ hóng), which translates to “underglaze red.” This technique involves applying a copper oxide underglaze to the ceramic before firing, which results in a red hue after the firing process.

 

In the passage, the red glaze is described as delicate and valuable, suggesting that the item in question is a high-quality piece of porcelain with intricate craftsmanship. Here’s a more detailed explanation in the context of the translation:

 

“釉里红” refers to a style of decoration where the red color is applied under a transparent glaze. The process involves using copper oxide as a coloring agent, which requires precise control during firing to achieve the desired red hue. This type of decoration became prominent during the Yuan and Ming dynasties and is known for its vibrant and rich color.

 

In the passage, Ning Qinghong is concerned about the delicate nature of the red glaze item, indicating its fragility and value. This concern highlights the importance and rarity of the piece, as such items were highly prized and carefully preserved.