Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 50

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“Your Majesty, Your Majesty—”

 

Yan He kept calling after the young emperor as she followed behind him, along with other palace attendants from the Yangxin Hall. They all accompanied the emperor to court, waiting in the side hall of the Golden Throne Hall. But since no one was in charge of the emperor at the moment, they could only follow him, not daring to intervene.

 

Wu Jing pretended not to hear, covering his ears as if he found the noise bothersome, muttering to himself, “Wu Wu wants to find Brother.”

 

“Brother went this way.”

 

“… Wu Wu is looking.”

 

The Yueji Hall was just behind the Golden Throne Hall, only a short walk away. Wu Jing had been there a few times with Ning Qinghong and was already familiar with the route.

 

However, the ministers of the Grand Secretariat walked much faster than Wu Jing. By the time he followed the route from memory and arrived, the doors of the Yueji Hall were already tightly shut.

 

The guards and eunuchs from the Inner Guard were waiting down the steps, and the area around the hall’s entrance was deserted, to prevent anyone from eavesdropping and spreading the news.

 

When Wu Jing arrived, the palace attendants all knelt to greet him. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he paused but couldn’t avoid it and had to steel himself to walk through the crowd of kneeling people.

 

No one dared to stop him.

 

Fuchen also bowed and greeted him, “Your Majesty, the Lord is currently discussing matters inside. There are tea, snacks, and thick cushions prepared in the side hall where you can rest.” He advised nervously, “If you wish, you can also go to the Imperial Garden and play with the little stray dog.”

 

Ning Qinghong hadn’t forbidden the emperor from entering. In previous discussions with the ministers, he hadn’t avoided the emperor at all, so as a servant, Fuchen naturally didn’t dare to block him.

 

But since his master was in a bad mood, Fuchen didn’t dare let the emperor go in directly.

 

He knew the emperor wasn’t truly foolish and wanted to subtly hint that the Lord was currently in a mood where he didn’t recognize anyone.

 

But before he could continue, Wu Jing, pretending not to understand, asked directly, “Is Brother in there?”

 

He pointed at the tightly closed hall doors.

 

Fuchen nodded, and before he could stop him, the young emperor’s eyes lit up. He quickly ran up the steps and, as usual, lifted his robes and sat down on the topmost stone step, mumbling to himself, “Wu Wu will be good and wait for Brother to come out.”

 

Fuchen finally let out a sigh of relief but still didn’t dare let the emperor sit on the ground in the chilly early autumn morning. He had someone bring over a cloak and a cushion, along with hot tea and snacks.

 

However, Wu Jing was sitting so close to the hall doors that no one dared approach him. Even Yan He and the other attendants from Yangxin Hall stayed at the bottom of the steps.

 

Aside from Fuchen, who could get close, he had to personally bring these items one by one, fearing that if he didn’t serve the emperor properly, the emperor might complain about him to the Lord later.

 

Wu Jing sat on the soft cushion, wrapped in a large cloak, sipping hot tea. Even though he was just sitting on the steps daydreaming, he felt comfortable everywhere.

 

Voices could be heard from behind him, through the tightly closed hall doors. Although the sound was somewhat muffled, if he listened carefully, he could make out what was being said.

 

But most of it didn’t make much sense to Wu Jing.

 

The only thing he could discern was that nearly everyone else was speaking, while Ning Qinghong hadn’t said a word yet.

 

It seemed as if he was either listening indifferently or didn’t want to bother responding.

 

“Strange, really strange. Why is it that today the Left Chancellor’s faction is as silent as if they’ve swallowed bitter medicine, not uttering a single word?”

 

“Could it be because Lord Ning dealt with that chatterbox, intimidating them?”

 

“That person dared to speak so recklessly in the Golden Throne Hall, without any decorum. According to the laws of the Great Zhou, he should’ve been dragged out and beaten long ago. Lord Ning was actually lenient with the punishment.”

 

They praised each other, but none mentioned that Ning Qinghong hadn’t even changed into his court robes today, walked the imperial path without kneeling, and stood before the imperial decree without bowing. Forget decorum, his arrogance was almost engraved on the walls of the Golden Throne Hall.

 

Ning Qinghong had held power over the court for nearly ten years, and the entire imperial court had essentially become his domain, where his word was law.

 

If the Left Chancellor’s faction hadn’t still been useful, they would’ve been eradicated long ago.

 

Even when the new emperor ascended the throne and Ning Qinghong took over as regent due to the emperor’s perceived foolishness, the Empress Dowager didn’t dare to insist on ruling from behind the curtain, despite the emperor being adopted into her lineage.

 

Even with the dragon throne left empty during daily court sessions, the Great Zhou had seen no chaos in recent years, a testament to Ning Qinghong’s control.

 

The discussion continued:

 

“This is a major matter; there’s no need to discuss these minor issues in court. Since the Left Chancellor has accepted the decree, the next step in the plan should be put forward.”

 

“Indeed. When the Left Chancellor’s faction and the aristocratic families are at each other’s throats, it will be the perfect time for us to strike.”

 

“I wonder if, when chaos erupts, we’ll find an opportunity to assassinate the emperor.”

 

“If we fail…”

 

Wu Jing, who had been dozing off, suddenly snapped awake.

 

Wait, did he just hear something he wasn’t supposed to?

 

Did he hear it wrong?

 

Which *assassinate*? Which *emperor*?

 

Wu Jing swallowed nervously, his head spinning. He glanced back at the tightly closed hall doors, then at the group of palace attendants bowing at the bottom of the steps.

 

Could he have misheard?

 

Was he half-asleep and dreaming, imagining things?

 

Wu Jing tried to reassure himself. He glanced down at the teacup in his hand, then hesitated for a moment, carefully stood up, tightened his grip on the teacup as if it were a protective charm, and slowly walked to the hall doors.

 

He boldly eavesdropped.

 

After all, no one said he wasn’t allowed to listen; they just didn’t let him in. He would just listen.

 

Just for a moment.

 

Wu Jing had no idea what the ministers’ discussion had to do with the imperial decree, or why the Left Chancellor would have to fight with the aristocratic families. He was entirely unaware that the Left Chancellor’s faction was the last safeguard for the current emperor of the Great Zhou.

 

If not for Ning Qinghong,

 

it should have been.

 

“If we fail, it won’t matter. Only if the emperor dies will the Great Zhou fall into chaos, and then we can find a suitable opportunity… only then can Lord Ning—”

 

“And if we can’t find one, how will we clean up the mess?”

 

“We can follow the precedent of the previous dynasty and support a female emperor.”

 

“There are still two princesses in the Great Zhou.”

 

With just a single remark, everything fell into silence.

 

Wu Jing was listening in a daze, not fully understanding, but the quietness seemed to stir something in his heart. He wasn’t too nervous, only realizing that there had once been a female emperor in this dynasty.

 

The throne of the Great Zhou could have other candidates,

 

He wasn’t irreplaceable.

 

As he thought this, aside from the chill creeping up his back and a sense of helplessness, he didn’t feel much fear.

 

Because the person he wanted to hear from hadn’t spoken yet.

 

Inside the hall, someone suddenly asked, “Why hasn’t the Lord said anything? What are your thoughts, my lord?”

 

“Lord Ning?”

 

“… Lord Ning?”

 

Wu Jing waited in a muddled state, unsure if the silence brought him more comfort or more anxiety.

 

He didn’t understand court affairs,

 

but a sense of trust seemed to have formed within him, though he didn’t know why.

 

Ning Qinghong kept his eyes closed, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the Grand Tutor’s chair, as if to say he was listening.

 

The hall quieted down, and then someone spoke, “I have a question, my lord. Could you possibly answer it for me?” After some rustling, that person seemed to make a deep bow. “Why did Lord Ning have His Majesty attend the court sessions as an observer? What new thought has crossed your mind?”

 

Silence.

 

The person continued, “A few days ago, I happened to hear that a physician was expelled from your residence, my lord. But this physician had his tongue cut out by someone and became a mute, babbling incomprehensibly all day long. After losing his voice, what he was trying to say became unclear.”

 

“I learned from those caring for him that this physician once treated His Majesty. Might there be some hidden reason why he was expelled from your residence?”

 

… A physician?

 

What physician?

 

Aside from the imperial physicians in the palace, had someone from Ning Qinghong’s residence treated him before? Wu Jing listened in confusion, but a sense of unease slowly grew within him, as if by instinct.

 

He trembled slightly, carefully leaning against the door to listen more closely, pressing his ear against the oiled paper covering the carved wooden door.

 

The person spoke each word clearly, “Or is there some hidden truth about His Majesty’s illness?”

 

There was an uproar among the listeners.

 

Wu Jing didn’t quite understand. Besides that bout of illness from the cold, what other illness had he ever had? After a moment, he slowly realized that it wasn’t about him being ill.

 

But about the congenital foolishness of this body.

 

What did that mean?

 

Did it mean that this physician discovered something, which led to such inhumane treatment?

 

Wu Jing’s thoughts were scattered, most of them far from the truth, yet he still broke out in a cold sweat.

 

Someone in the hall immediately speculated, “Could it be that His Majesty—”

 

“Did you spy on my whereabouts?”

 

The person’s words were cut off by Ning Qinghong’s slow and deliberate voice. He opened his eyes, stood up from the Grand Tutor’s chair, and calmly surveyed the room with his gaze.

 

“The humble servant wouldn’t dare! But if this matter is true, we must prepare in advance, lest the Lord’s safety be jeopardized!”

 

Ning Qinghong looked at the person with a faint smile.

 

The man steeled himself and gritted his teeth, saying, “We all serve under the Lord and naturally trust him, but… water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it.”

 

This statement was incredibly audacious, and everyone was shocked.

 

Someone quickly tried to smooth things over, “To put it bluntly, we’re all plotting to usurp power. If the foolish emperor is defeated, what harm is there in sparing someone’s life? We can act when the time is right—”

 

Before the person could finish, the sharp sound of a sword rang out—!

 

Even through the layer of oiled paper, Wu Jing seemed to be dazzled by the silver light reflected off the sword. He heard a loud “bang,” and then the speaker’s voice was silenced, leaving only dead silence in the hall.

 

It felt as if something thick and sticky had splashed towards Wu Jing’s face but was blocked by the oiled paper. Dazed, he looked up, and all he could see was a blood-red blur.

 

The sound of metal clashing rang out again, as if someone had thrown the sword to the ground. Ning Qinghong said, “I’m tired. We’ll discuss this matter later.”

 

“Take him away and deal with him.”

 

He spoke just a few words, as calmly as if nothing had happened.

 

Wu Jing remained frozen outside the door, unable to tell who had died inside. He found it hard to breathe and could faintly hear Fuchen in the distance, whispering, “Quick, take His Majesty back to the Yangxin Hall.”

 

He had so little strength that he could barely resist.

 

It was as if he never even thought to struggle.

 

Wu Jing could only be dragged away by the palace attendants, his arm held tightly as they hurried him away.