Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 78

The sound of books in the Imperial Academy was endless, reverberating like lingering echoes, and the constant noise made one drowsy.

 

Wu Jing was slumped over his desk, his head nodding repeatedly.

 

Even though he was in a new learning environment, it didn’t stop him from dozing off during class, and fortunately, no one dared to discipline him.

 

When the bell rang signaling the end of classes, his classmates gradually left, and he vaguely heard many of them saying goodbye, mentioning they were leaving.

 

Wu Jing buried his head in his arm and occasionally responded with a murmur. Since his face was buried, his voice was muffled, and his nods were so slight they were nearly imperceptible.

 

After a long while, when a servant came to call him, Wu Jing straightened up. The classroom was now empty, and it was completely deserted.

 

Wu Jing had made a few friends over the past two days, introduced by the three people who had said they wanted to befriend him. Although their relationship wasn’t very close, they were acquaintances. Today, as usual, he packed away his writing materials.

 

Once the servant finished tidying up his books, Wu Jing left in a sullen mood.

 

It was the third day.

 

Since the day he went to find Ning Qinghong.

 

On the first day, Wu Jing was apprehensive and didn’t have much curiosity. After waiting the entire day, he became increasingly anxious and didn’t understand what Ning Qinghong was thinking.

 

Why had he come to sleep with him silently in the middle of the night and then left without a word before he woke up?

 

Then there was no news at all.

 

On the second day, Wu Jing proactively sought out Fu Chen again, only to learn that the Duke was not in the residence but had gone to a villa on the outskirts of the city.

 

He had left long ago.

 

Wu Jing returned to the residence by carriage. After dinner, he secretly went to the courtyard he had visited when searching for Ning Qinghong.

 

Unlike before, there were guards outside the courtyard, and servants were sweeping and cleaning inside.

 

No one dared to stop him.

 

Wu Jing walked smoothly to the bedroom he had previously stumbled into. The carved wooden door was wide open, and inside were only a few servants cleaning and arranging the Duke’s belongings.

 

Seeing the young emperor, Fu Chen immediately stopped what he was doing and came over respectfully, “Your Majesty, what brings you here? Are you looking for the Lord?”

 

Wu Jing shook his head. Thirsty, he sat down and slowly drank a cup of tea.

 

Noticing the emperor’s mood, Fu Chen cautiously advised, “His Highness was always like this when he was ill. Please don’t overthink it.” He continued, “Before the Lord fell ill, he specifically instructed me to keep you apart during this time.”

 

“His sudden departure might be due to concern for you, not wanting to frighten you. He still cares,” Fu Chen said, trying to comfort the emperor as much as possible.

 

Wu Jing could tell whether Fu Chen was being truthful. He felt that Fu Chen wasn’t lying to him but genuinely believed that Ning Qinghong’s behavior was quite gentle.

 

He responded with a soft acknowledgment, indicating he understood.

 

Seeing the young master remain silent, Fu Chen was worried, “Why not stay here tonight?”

 

Wu Jing didn’t respond or nod. After a long pause, he hesitantly asked, “When will he recover?”

 

Fu Chen, relieved that the emperor had finally spoken, said, “I don’t know for sure. It might be a few days or even more than ten days.”

 

He didn’t dare to speculate whether the emperor truly had a mental illness but could see that the Duke had a special regard for the emperor.

 

Since the master had their own reasons for doing things, and the emperor didn’t seem to have any ill intentions, Fu Chen was happy to see the two getting along and served the emperor faithfully.

 

Wu Jing nodded sullenly.

 

He wasn’t sure about the actual situation. Apart from feeling unwell, what other effects could this condition have, and when would it be over? When would he return to being in a good mood?

 

He felt his earlier feelings of being neglected had improved somewhat, but they had been replaced with another form of unhappiness, and he didn’t feel he could blame the other person.

 

Because every time, it was he who was scared and ran away first.

 

His courage was small,

 

And he couldn’t control it.

 

Should he do something?

 

Wu Jing, “Can I go to the villa on the outskirts of the city—”

 

Fu Chen interrupted, “The Lord instructed before leaving that Your Majesty should stay in the residence and focus on your studies.”

 

Wu Jing immediately stopped, understanding the implication.

 

It meant he wasn’t allowed to go looking for him.

 

After dinner and washing up, Wu Jing slept in this bedroom, tossing and turning under the covers, before finally falling asleep. The next morning, he went to the Imperial Academy wrapped in the morning dew.

 

As usual, he listened to the old tutor recite poems and literary works word by word and slowly memorized them.

 

After the bell, he occasionally dealt with people who came to chat with him, had lunch with new classmates in the academy’s dining hall, rested in a prepared room, took a nap, and then attended classes again in the afternoon.

 

When classes ended at the evening bell, Wu Jing, carrying a few books to take home for further study, chatted with his classmates as they left the academy together.

 

Holding his books, he instinctively looked up at the lanterns hanging in front of the carriages of various families, searching for the character “Ning.” When he finally found it, he was momentarily stunned.

 

He seemed to see a familiar figure.

 

Wu Jing was dazed.

 

“Ning Jing? Ning Jing! We’re leaving!”

 

“See you tomorrow?”

 

After calling out several times, Wu Jing finally came to his senses, hurriedly responded, and, in a bit of a flurry, clutched his books and ran towards the figure standing beside the Ning family’s carriage, dressed in a stone-blue robe with crane patterns, his demeanor carrying a hint of gentleness.

 

Wu Jing’s mind was blank. When he met Ning Qinghong’s gaze, he didn’t know why he tightened his grip on the books in his arms.

 

He just stood there, staring blankly.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled faintly, “Why are you in a daze again?” He said softly, “Class is over. I’ve come to take you home.”

 

Wu Jing struggled to open his mouth but couldn’t say a word. Nearly ten days of grievance surged up at once.

 

Ning Qinghong was about to extend his fingers.

 

Wu Jing instinctively hugged him and lunged forward, and the books fell to the ground with a “clatter.”

 

Wu Jing immediately came to his senses, his ears burning with embarrassment.

 

Feeling Ning Qinghong gently patting his back while laughing softly in his ear, he said, “Wu Wu, aren’t you embarrassed now? Aren’t you afraid of being seen and laughed at?”

 

Because it was precisely the time when classes ended, the Imperial Academy’s gate was crowded with carriages picking up young masters, and there were people coming and going.

 

Fortunately, they stood behind the carriages. When Wu Jing threw himself at Ning Qinghong, Ning Qinghong stepped back with his people, so others could only see the books scattered on the ground and the differently colored robes piled up beside each other through the gaps in the carriage shafts.

 

Although they couldn’t see clearly, it didn’t stop people from guessing.

 

Especially the classmates who had just left with Wu Jing. They vaguely recognized the person standing behind him, and upon seeing a glimpse of that person’s attire, they were incredulous. They quickly pretended not to see and hurried to their own carriages, acting as if they were blind and deaf.

 

Ning Qinghong, teasing, said softly, “So many people are watching me with Wu Wu.” He smiled, “Including Wu Wu’s new friends.”

 

Wu Jing, following his words, buried his face deeper in embarrassment.

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Without me around, Wu Wu seems quite comfortable, doesn’t he?” He said slowly, “What new people has Wu Wu met? Feel free to tell me.”

 

Wu Jing shook his head, “No, I only know their names.” He whispered, “We’re not close.”

 

Ning Qinghong said, “But I saw Wu Wu talking and laughing with them just now.”

 

Wu Jing felt unusually guilty and his voice became even softer, “We only exchanged a few words, nothing more.”

 

Ning Qinghong asked, “Is that so?”

 

Wu Jing nodded.

 

Ning Qinghong chuckled, “Alright, let’s get going.” He said, “After a whole day of classes, Wu Wu must be tired.”

 

“Let’s go back to the residence early, rest up, and fill your stomach.”

 

“Let go of me first?”

 

Wu Jing hesitated, then released his hold, took a few steps, looked back at Ning Qinghong, and ran back to tug at his sleeve, holding his hand, “Brother, go ahead.”

 

His tone was somewhat anxious.

 

Ning Qinghong responded gently, took the young man to the carriage, and instructed the servants to pick up the scattered books and arrange them neatly.

 

He then unceremoniously led Wu Jing to the carriage and calmly entered it.

 

The carriages parked outside the Imperial Academy were mostly sent by princes, marquises, and court officials.

 

This was different from when Ning Qinghong and Wu Jing went to the night market, where ordinary people didn’t recognize them.

 

Although people might not recognize the new emperor, who had rarely been seen in court, most knew Lord Qiansui’s(Qinghong) figure. Given their affectionate actions, they should have avoided public scrutiny.

 

But Ning Qinghong clearly indicated there was nothing to hide.

 

The Ning family’s carriage slowly departed.

 

Inside the carriage.

 

Wu Jing instinctively headed to the place he had occupied these past few days—the spot on the white tiger rug where Ning Qinghong had previously sat.

 

When Ning Qinghong sat down first, Wu Jing was momentarily stunned, but then he carefully sat down as well, inching closer to Ning Qinghong.

 

He pretended to drink tea nonchalantly.

 

After drinking for a while, he secretly glanced at Ning Qinghong, thinking he was observing unnoticed.

 

Wu Jing kept comparing in his mind.

 

He recalled when he first met Ning Qinghong, who had been absent for ten days. He had probably been ill during that time, which explained his long absence from the palace.

 

Comparing Ning Qinghong now to how he had been cold and stern a few days ago, there didn’t seem to be much difference.

 

The tone of his speech was still similar, only with less patience and a more authoritative demeanor.

 

When Wu Jing couldn’t resist another glance, he was unexpectedly caught by Ning Qinghong’s gaze. Ning Qinghong asked slowly, “How is it? Has Wu Wu noticed any difference in your brother?”

 

Wu Jing was taken aback, unsure whether to shake his head or nod. He seemed to want to explain that he wasn’t spying, but after being caught, he couldn’t utter a single explanation.

 

Ning Qinghong said softly, “How could Wu Wu figure it out?” He extended his fingers, indicating Wu Jing to come closer.

 

The dazed youth clambered up from the carriage and, in a confused state, was guided to kneel on Ning Qinghong’s lap. Ning Qinghong, with a casual tone and a guiding smile, said gently, “Why not try hitting your brother’s face again?”

 

Wu Jing’s breath caught, and realizing what Ning Qinghong meant, he frantically tried to pull away, thinking Ning Qinghong was bringing up old grievances.

 

**Author’s Note:**

 

Qinghong: Came to pick up Wuwu after school