Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 31

The spies trained by the Inner Guard are exceptionally skilled; they stayed hidden in the Yangxin Hall for a night without Wu Jing noticing.

 

He had no habit of talking to himself and no particular night-time activities. Hugging two cloth tigers, he had a restful sleep.

 

Today, finally, no one woke him up early. Wu Jing woke up naturally, had breakfast in the dining hall with unfamiliar palace attendants, and then was taken to the imperial study by an unfamiliar eunuch.

 

Wu Jing was almost familiar with this routine now. Seeing the glass screen with mandarin ducks playing in the water, he felt a sense of familiarity.

 

But as soon as he entered the hall, a rich, warm fragrance filled his nostrils.

 

Wu Jing stood by the door, timidly looking inside and saw incense burners placed on both sides of the hall today. He sniffed again, unable to resist.

 

The usual incense was very light, faintly detectable unless one specifically tried to smell it. Why was today’s fragrance so strong?

 

This kind of incense was always burned wherever Ning Qinghong was present. Even his clothes were scented with the same fragrance, different from the incense used on Wu Jing’s clothes, which was merely pleasant.

 

The incense Ning Qinghong used seemed to serve another purpose. Whenever Wu Jing got close enough to smell it, it made him feel inexplicably calm and peaceful.

 

A palace attendant helped the young emperor to the high dragon throne and then retreated.

 

After sitting down, Wu Jing carefully glanced at Ning Qinghong, who was busy with his brush, reviewing documents with complete focus.

 

He looked very absorbed.

 

On the side, Fuchen silently gestured for the emperor not to disturb the duke, mimicking putting a finger to his lips.

 

Wu Jing saw this and nodded seriously, obediently remaining silent.

 

Leaning on the table, he soon felt drowsy, his body growing lethargic.

 

In a daze, he heard Fuchen’s high-pitched but hushed voice say, “Add another spoonful of Floating Gold Powder.”

 

Curiously, Wu Jing watched as a palace attendant opened the incense burner lid, used a long-handled golden spoon to add incense powder, and then shaped it with a tool before lighting it.

 

Floating Gold Powder? Is that the name of the incense?

 

Wu Jing couldn’t help but yawn. Not wanting to disturb Ning Qinghong, he quickly covered his mouth. When he finished yawning and opened his eyes, he noticed Ning Qinghong looking at him.

 

The boy’s eyes were still watery from yawning.

 

Feeling awkward, Wu Jing blinked and then carefully raised his other hand to cover his mouth, indicating he wouldn’t make any noise.

 

Muffled by his hands, his voice was barely audible, “Wu Wu won’t talk.”

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled, “Sleepy?”

 

Wu Jing nodded slowly, still covering his mouth.

 

Ning Qinghong gestured, then said to Wu Jing, “Would Wu Wu like to play in the imperial garden for a while?”

 

“Play?” Wu Jing asked, somewhat dazed.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled and nodded.

 

Wu Jing released his hands, “Wu Wu plays by himself?”

 

Ning Qinghong put down his brush and extended his hand towards Wu Jing.

 

Tentatively, Wu Jing stood up and walked over to Ning Qinghong, still sleepy and feeling like he might collapse into Ning Qinghong at any moment.

 

Drowsily closing his eyes, he curled into a warm and gentle embrace.

 

The next moment, Ning Qinghong used a clean handkerchief to wipe the corners of his eyes, removing the tears from yawning. “Brother is busy. He will play with Wu Wu later.”

 

Wu Jing nodded, “Okay.”

 

The palace attendants helped him away, but after a few steps, Wu Jing ran back, tugging at Ning Qinghong’s sleeve, stammering, “Brother, the doggy?”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled, “Wu Wu can play with the dog.”

 

Only then did Wu Jing happily follow the palace attendants.

 

Ning Qinghong watched his departing figure, slowly closed the document he was reading, and opened the next one.

 

Fuchen immediately knelt down, “This servant knows his mistake.”

 

Ning Qinghong said, “Next time, use the normal amount of incense before His Majesty arrives. He is not like me and is not yet accustomed to the medicinal properties. Or take him somewhere else to play.”

 

Fuchen replied reluctantly, “Yes,” then worriedly added, “If you are tired, please rest for a while.”

 

Ning Qinghong responded lightly.

 

After another hour and a half, the documents on the table were finally done. Ning Qinghong set his brush on the brush rest, closed his eyes, and massaged his brow.

 

Fuchen was almost trembling with fear, “Master, please rest for a while,” he advised, “It’s also time for lunch. Shall I have the Imperial Medical Institute prepare a bowl of medicine for you to take after your meal?”

 

Ning Qinghong rubbed his brow, “No need, just bring the medicine directly.”

 

When the imperial physician presented the medicine, Ning Qinghong was sitting by the window in the imperial study, with the autumn afternoon sunlight streaming in, illuminating the knee-high desk.

 

A purple ebony spring chair stood nearby. The wood was entirely black, with a silk cushion on the seat, and the armrests were slender and the backrest angled backward.

 

It looked more luxurious than the spring chair in paintings of drunken men.

 

Ning Qinghong leaned against it, resting with his eyes closed. Reminded by Fuchen, he drank half of the medicine, enough to induce drowsiness without causing deep sleep.

 

As he closed his eyes again, the palace attendants in the hall kept their heads down and quiet. Fuchen waved his hand, and they quietly left, waiting by the open door.

 

Meanwhile, Wu Jing, having demanded his cloth tigers, treated them like balls, tossing them for the dog in the imperial garden to fetch. The dog, dragging its injured leg, retrieved the toys.

 

Because the young emperor liked this stray dog, the Imperial Medical Institute took special care of its leg. After much treatment, the dog’s leg could finally touch the ground a bit. Though still limping, it was no longer completely immobile.

 

After playing fetch a few times, Wu Jing picked up the slobbery, dirty cloth tiger and solemnly told the dog that he was giving it the toy. The dog barked in delight.

 

They played happily together, and Wu Jing was covered in dog hair by the time he was taken to wash up for lunch.

 

However, when he arrived at the dining hall, he was alone. After waiting a while, even as the attendants set up his meal, Ning Qinghong did not appear.

 

Wu Jing had to start eating alone.

 

Halfway through his meal, he sensed something was off. The palace attendants were being unusually cautious, moving quietly without making a sound. Normally, they were respectful but not so restrained in front of him.

 

After finishing his meal, Wu Jing thought Ning Qinghong should be done with his work and resting. But when the attendants took him to the imperial garden, he was still alone.

 

Sitting on a stone bench with the dog in his arms, Wu Jing felt a bit puzzled.

 

Eventually, he adjusted and spent his time in the garden until evening. He was asleep on a stone table, the dog curled up next to him, when palace attendants woke him for dinner. Still groggy, he found himself eager, though he wasn’t sure if it was from hunger or something else.

 

But upon arriving at the dining hall again, it was empty.

 

Standing by the door, Wu Jing looked at the table full of dishes, tried to rally his spirits, and prepared to eat. He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, hesitated, and put them down again.

 

Pulling on a nearby attendant’s sleeve, he looked up and asked, “Where’s Brother?”

 

The attendant, momentarily confused, then quickly replied, “His Majesty is in the imperial study.”

 

Still reviewing documents?

 

So busy?

 

Wu Jing felt a bit guilty, as if he was shirking his responsibilities.

 

Feigning confusion, Wu Jing said, “Brother?”

 

Not everyone was like Ning Qinghong, who understood him so well that two words conveyed all his meaning. The palace attendant asked, “Does His Majesty want to see the Lord?”

 

Wu Jing was tempted, “Brother eating?”

 

Just reminding Ning Qinghong to eat should be fine, right?

 

The palace attendant seemed to misunderstand and hesitated, “Shall I take His Majesty to the imperial study?”

 

Upon hearing this, Wu Jing involuntarily pursed his lips, feeling hesitant.

 

The palace attendant, thinking the emperor didn’t understand, lowered their voice, “Does His Majesty want to find Brother?”

 

After struggling for a while, Wu Jing finally repeated the palace attendant’s words in a daze, “Find Brother.”

 

He just wanted to see if this person was so busy that they skipped both lunch and dinner.

 

Just a look.

 

 

Autumn days grow dark early. From dusk to nightfall takes only a brief moment, and it cools quickly. The light filtering through the window lattice had long turned into the chill of night wind.

 

Ning Qinghong slowly opened his eyes. From sleep to wakefulness, his breathing remained steady. His scarlet official robe draped over the ground as he lifted his gaze to the dim light coming through the window lattice.

 

It was the faint and scarce moonlight.

 

Apart from him, the hall was empty and pitch dark. In the dimness, one could only vaguely make out the shadows of objects, as no one dared to enter, leaving the surroundings dead silent.

 

Fearing to disturb him, not a single palace lantern was lit in the corridor outside.

 

In the darkness, Ning Qinghong leaned back in the purple ebony spring chair, his fingers motionless on the armrest. His eyes wandered aimlessly, quietly watching something.

 

A trace of weariness slowly crept into his features.

 

Ning Qinghong closed his eyes gently, his fingers rhythmically tapping on the ebony armrest, the pace slow. He would tap when he remembered and stop when he felt drowsy.

 

Perhaps this noise caught the attention of the palace attendants guarding the door. Fuchen glanced inside and waved his hand, signaling for an attendant to enter and light the lamps and bring tea.

 

The attendant, carrying the prepared hot tea, walked in with a bow, feeling inexplicably nervous. Reaching the low desk by the window, they stopped.

 

The desk was low, requiring the attendant to kneel to place the tea cup securely on the tabletop.

 

In the darkness, the attendant suppressed trembling fingers and meticulously went about their task.

 

The chill of autumn brought a shiver up their spine. Somehow, they felt a gaze from above.

 

As they picked up the wooden tray, they looked up instinctively.

 

Their eyes met Ning Qinghong’s calm and indifferent gaze.

 

“Bang!”

 

Startled, the tray fell to the ground.

 

Fuchen witnessed this scene and, seeing his master’s lazy yet cold expression, felt a shiver run down his spine. He immediately ordered, “Disturbing His Excellency’s peace, take her away!”

 

At his command, two swift eunuchs stepped forward, covered the attendant’s mouth to prevent any cries, lifted her from the ground, and quickly dragged her out, ignoring her struggles.

 

At that moment, the rows of attendants holding palace lanterns returned, quietly filing in with lowered heads.

 

The hall instantly lit up, making the scene clearly visible.

 

Wu Jing, following behind the palace attendants, had just turned the corner past the glazed screen and, after only a short walk, stopped at the door. He raised his eyes slightly and stumbled upon this grim scene.

 

The attendant being dragged out had grabbed onto his robe.

 

The two eunuchs immediately crouched down and forcibly pried the attendant’s hand off Wu Jing’s robe.

 

The young emperor stood there dazed, motionless.

 

He couldn’t move.

 

Wu Jing held his breath, only able to feel the tugging at the hem of his robe.

 

What was happening?

 

Wasn’t this person just working on documents?

 

What went wrong?

 

What did this person do wrong?

 

But still…

 

He couldn’t bring himself to think of those two words; he just felt terrified.

 

Wu Jing wanted to retreat, but his body wouldn’t obey him.

 

His brain’s neural pathways controlling his movements were blocked by extreme fear, rendering him unable to move.

 

When Fuchen saw this scene, he was so frightened that he almost kneeled down. He quickly made a discreet gesture for the two eunuchs to loosen their grip and let the person go, hoping to end this quickly.

 

The two eunuchs eased their hold, and the attendant gasped for breath, though her mouth was still covered, preventing her from making any noise. Her struggles weakened as she seemed to understand she would be spared and stopped trying to scream.

 

Fuchen, facing the young emperor with his back to Ning Qinghong, frantically gestured for the eunuchs to leave, trying to convey one clear message: get out quickly.

 

But Wu Jing didn’t see it. He was too scared. His vision darkened, and when the attendant’s grip on his robe loosened, he stumbled slightly, instinctively grabbing the door to steady himself, watching in a daze as the attendant was dragged further and further away by the two eunuchs until they disappeared from sight.

 

When he looked up again, he met Ning Qinghong’s gaze. Dressed in a scarlet official robe, bathed in the dim yellow light, Ning Qinghong’s expression was weary, his eyes calm and devoid of interest, as if nothing and no one, not even himself, mattered anymore. It was as if he saw everyone as lifeless objects.

 

Wu Jing froze in place.

 

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

 

“Your Majesty?”

 

Wu Jing snapped out of his daze.

 

He immediately met Fuchen’s anxious gaze and saw him discreetly waving his hand.

 

Wu Jing swallowed, turned, and ran, stumbling but moving quickly. He had no concept of pretending nothing had happened and leaving gradually.

 

Fuchen cursed himself for not being as big as the doorframe, unable to block Ning Qinghong’s cold gaze. He trembled as he returned to his master’s side, waiting for instructions.

 

Ning Qinghong’s fingers continued their slow tapping. With a hint of a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he uttered coldly, “Go, bring him back.”

 

With that, he closed his eyes again, as if ready to rest once more.

 

Author’s Note:

 

Wuwu (sends out an SOS): sos