Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 40

Wu Jing had just rolled back into his quilt for a short while, barely closing his eyes, when he felt the bedding being pulled down slightly.

 

He gently touched the spot on his forehead where he had bumped.

 

Afraid it might hurt, he didn’t apply much pressure.

 

Ning Qinghong coaxed him up, “Brother will apply some medicine for Wu Wu?”

 

Wu Jing burrowed further into the covers, blurting out, “Wu Wu is sleepy, not hurt.”

 

It was true, it didn’t hurt anymore. He had accidentally bumped it, but now he didn’t feel a thing. Wu Jing just wanted to sleep.

 

Ning Qinghong sighed softly. Before long, palace attendants brought the ointment and applied it skillfully.

 

Struggling against drowsiness, Wu Jing hugged Ning Qinghong’s arm as he applied the medicine. Due to his lack of strength, his hands moved along with Ning Qinghong’s arm.

 

The air was filled with a faint medicinal scent.

 

Ning Qinghong was about to pull away when Wu Jing hugged him tighter. Upon closer inspection, he realized the young Emperor had fallen asleep again without any guard.

 

Feeling the pull, still half-asleep, Wu Jing murmured, “Brother…sleep too.” He didn’t let go of Ning Qinghong’s arm, naturally adjusting his position as Ning Qinghong leaned over.

 

Wrapping his arm around Ning Qinghong’s shoulder, nuzzling his face against him, and finally burying his face against him before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

 

It was only then that Ning Qinghong noticed the pre-sleep kiss planted on his shoulder. Unable to find a spot, but subconsciously remembering the ritual, he obediently buried his face.

 

Just treat it as a kiss.

 

Although not very clever, the advantage was that once taught, he obediently wouldn’t forget.

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled lightly. Unable to extricate himself, he reluctantly sat on the bed and began to review the documents.

 

By the time everything was organized and instructions given, half an hour had passed.

 

After sleeping for an hour and a half, Wu Jing finally woke up naturally. With a clear mind, he realized he was lying on someone’s chest. As he lifted his head, he saw Ning Qinghong, eyes closed, gently playing with two jade walnuts.

 

Seemingly meditating.

 

Wu Jing carefully withdrew his hand, propping himself up. Before he could make any move, he heard the person above him laugh and ask, “Awake?”

 

His hand paused, feeling a bit at a loss.

 

Recalling the pre-sleep kiss and Ning Qinghong’s unpredictable mood, he felt a bit uneasy.

 

…there was already a pre-sleep kiss,

 

Should there also be…a wake-up kiss?

 

Wu Jing glanced timidly at Ning Qinghong, “Brother?”

 

Ning Qinghong lowered his eyes slightly, but before he could speak, the young Emperor pounced forward, his lips barely touching the strands of hair near Ning Qinghong’s temple, and swiftly retreated.

 

“Wu Wu and brother are both awake?”

 

Wu Jing attempted to convey that this was meant to be the wake-up kiss.

 

Ning Qinghong looked at him and slowly smiled, “Yes, Wu Wu is very obedient.” He praised with a smile that seemed both mocking and genuine.

 

He could learn from one example.

 

Ning Qinghong added, “Since Your Majesty is awake, bring all the clothes prepared by the Tailor Bureau.”

 

Wu Jing followed his voice and glanced over.

 

In hindsight, while he had seen Fuchen before falling asleep, he had woken up to a new eunuch.

 

He actually couldn’t remember the faces of the palace attendants very well, especially since the palace maids all wore the same hair bun and clothes, and the eunuchs were the same, almost all pale-faced, with lowered eyebrows.

 

It was hard to see their faces clearly.

 

Ning Qinghong was different from him.

 

Wu Jing thought that in the eyes of the other party, these palace attendants didn’t need to be remembered, and they weren’t even considered people. Even when resting, there was no need to be discreet.

 

As a result, Wu Jing also ignored them somewhat. He noticed there were others in the warm chamber, so he felt a bit embarrassed to continue clinging to Ning Qinghong.

 

He withdrew his hand carefully.

 

And then he thought, what clothes?

 

His clothes?

 

The attendants waited outside the warm chamber like flowing water, and Wu Jing casually glanced over, seeing a total of six or seven people.

 

Inside the warm chamber, attendants served him at his bedside.

 

Wu Jing glanced at Ning Qinghong, received permission, and then got up, putting on wooden clogs. Dazed, he was led to the open space in front of the bed, where he was helped into his clothes layer by layer.

 

These clothes, which looked grand and magnificent, were scented with fragrance. With every breath, the intoxicating aroma of gold leaf could be smelled.

 

After being dressed layer by layer, Wu Jing was almost enveloped in this fragrance.

 

One piece after another, he didn’t know how long it took before Ning Qinghong’s neither light nor heavy voice sounded, “For tomorrow’s early court, wear this ceremonial robe.”

 

Early court? What early court?

 

Was this ceremonial attire?!

 

Wu Jing’s dazed mind suddenly cleared, realizing that these clothes were too cumbersome and heavy in their regulations. He raised his head in confusion, only to see on the wooden trays held by the attendants, one after another, twelve crowns symbolizing the emperor’s authority.

 

Just by looking at them, one could tell they were made of precious materials.

 

Ignoring his indifference towards these items, just the thought of the torment he would endure tomorrow made his legs weak.

 

He couldn’t figure out what he had done to anger someone again,

 

Otherwise, why did Ning Qinghong suddenly ask him to attend court?

 

“Come here.” Ning Qinghong sat on the bed, beckoning with his hand. When Wu Jing came closer, Ning Qinghong lifted his fingertips to adjust the collar of his clothes.

 

“Wu Wu should also understand some things now.” Ning Qinghong smoothed the few strands of hair in front of Wu Jing’s forehead behind him. “Eating and then sleeping all the time is not good, it’s too heavy.”

 

Wu Jing looked down at his hands suspiciously, feeling a bit guilty as what the other said was true.

 

“Wu Wu isn’t heavy.”

 

Wu Jing still wasn’t convinced.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled and changed his wording, “But still very light, Wu Wu should eat more, hm?”

 

The medicinal meal wasn’t given to Wu Jing for no reason. The imperial physician who usually diagnosed the Emperor’s pulse had already written on the imperial case, roughly meaning that Wu Jing had not eaten well since he was young. Although he looked thin, his insides were already depleted, and he needed to replenish himself.

 

Wu Jing felt happy.

 

Ning Qinghong picked out several ceremonial robes, showing his excellent taste. The clothes he left behind all matched Wu Jing very well, while the rest were sent back to the Tailor Bureau for remaking.

 

Trying on clothes was exhausting, and Wu Jing wanted to go have a few sips of tea. He walked towards the desk without blinking, but was attracted by a slight sound behind him.

 

Ning Qinghong stood up, placing the two jade walnuts he held in the wooden tray carried by the attendant, and smiled, “Wu Wu has received a reward, do you know what to do?”

 

Wu Jing turned back in confusion, echoing him, “Reward?” He blinked, not waiting for Ning Qinghong to continue, and said, “Wu Wu knows!”

 

He said earnestly, “Wu Wu should thank brother!”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled ambiguously, “Wrong.”

 

Wu Jing was momentarily puzzled, not understanding.

 

Ning Qinghong gestured for someone to come over. “Since you want to give thanks, shouldn’t you do something?”

 

Wu Jing followed suit, unable to help glancing at the attendants who were bowing their heads beside him, and stopped in front of one.

 

Ning Qinghong didn’t speak, he just raised his hand slightly to Wu Jing, and because this action was so familiar, the young man knew what to do as if by instinct. Following Ning Qinghong’s movement, he proactively hugged him.

 

Because the other was taller.

 

Wu Jing had to tiptoe to hug Ning Qinghong’s neck, hearing Ning Qinghong whisper softly in his ear, “You can say it now.”

 

Wu Jing repeated in a daze, “Thank you, brother?”

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled softly, “Go eat.”

 

When Wu Jing released Ning Qinghong, he still felt a bit dazed. Even after drinking tea and finishing a few bites of snacks, he didn’t notice anything wrong.

 

Indeed, gratitude couldn’t just be expressed verbally.

 

It had to be done in a way that the other person liked…?

 

Until after Ning Qinghong left,

 

Wu Jing still felt something was off.

 

He had dinner alone, and the table still had simple dishes. After finishing his meal, Wu Jing went to soak in a hot soup, changed into his inner clothes, and then went to bed.

 

Tonight, he didn’t feel as restless as the previous night in the autumn deep night. After playing for a while, he quickly fell asleep.

 

At the hour of Cat (5-7 AM), he was awakened by the palace attendants.

 

Wu Jing changed into the ceremonial robe Ning Qinghong had picked out for him the day before. The twelve crowns on his head were much lighter than last time. He secretly touched them and found that the beads embedded on top were lighter.

 

It must have been specially chosen by the palace attendants.

 

This time, Ning Qinghong didn’t accompany him. With a bit of familiarity, when Wu Jing sat on the sedan chair, he kept encouraging himself and mentally prepared himself.

 

When he arrived at the Golden Luang Hall, led by the palace attendants, he passed through the corridors, entered the warm chamber of the side hall, and then passed through the side door of the main hall. As he lifted his eyes, he was just a stone’s throw away from the Dragon Throne.

 

The Emperor’s attendance actually had a shortcut?

 

He didn’t need to be carried up so many steps like last time, entering step by step from the main gate of the main hall?!

 

Last time was deliberate on the other party’s part!

 

After realizing this, Wu Jing instantly looked at the group of ministers standing with bowed heads on the Golden Luang Hall, searching for that familiar figure. He was so angry that even his panic almost disappeared.

 

Taking the shortcut felt completely different from taking the long route.

 

The side steps were inconspicuous, and the officials below all bowed their heads. Wu Jing’s experience of attending court this time was many times better than last time.

 

Although his hands and feet were still weak, at least he didn’t have a blank mind like last time. When he sat on the Dragon Throne, he realized that there was a table placed in front of it.

 

The palace attendants moved swiftly like flowing clouds, serving some tea and snacks, and finally, they pulled down a thin butterfly-shaped curtain, blocking the front of the table, leaving only the Emperor’s figure vaguely visible.

 

It created a relatively private space for Wu Jing, where he could be seen by the officials, and the sense of security was overwhelming.

 

Suddenly, he realized how useful the power of the ruler was.

 

Wu Jing swallowed his saliva, looked down at the Dragon Throne he was sitting on, wondering if anyone would notice if he lay down and slept?

 

His eyes lit up,

 

He was tempted.

 

In his mind, Wu Jing pondered whether he could bring his cloth tiger and those ceramic clay figurines with him next time he attended court? Perhaps Ning Qinghong had instructed in advance, after the ministers and officials knelt down and respectfully said, “Long live, long live, long live the Emperor,” no one disturbed the Emperor sitting on the throne again.

 

Not to mention scenes like the last time when the Prime Minister desperately called out to Wu Jing.

 

Wu Jing was so comfortable that he almost swung his legs. He happily ate the pastries, afraid of choking, holding a cup of tea in one hand, and solving the hunger in his stomach that he woke up with.

 

But because he ate too quickly, when he swallowed the crumbs of the pastry, he choked on his throat.

 

In the Golden Luang Hall, where the officials were discussing fervently, suddenly they heard a few stifled coughs coming from the Dragon Throne, and everyone fell silent for a moment.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled ambiguously, “If there are no objections, this matter will be taken on by Zhang Xueshi from the Cabinet.”

 

The party of the Left Prime Minister could only pretend not to hear and continued to argue angrily.

 

Hearing the noise again, Wu Jing sneaked a few more coughs, drank a few sips of tea, and suppressed the itching sensation in his throat.

 

Author’s Note:

 

Officials and Ministers: Are we also a part of your play?